Time Has Come Today
by roxyturtle
Summary: Dean and Sam know they can't change the past, but when they start to relive it all bets are off. Set post 5x22. My first shot at fic so all reviews/critiques/advice appreciated!
1. Displacement

**Displacement.**

The world was spinning, and Dean Winchester had the biggest headache of his life. He was disoriented and everything looked blurry. The scenery slowly refocused and Dean found himself not in a city but in a forest. He stumbled to his feet and found himself in a three-foot crater, surrounded by shockwaves from what looked like a meteor strike and himself planted in the epicenter. Strangely, a tree stood next to him completely intact and in full bloom.

Where the hell am I? He thought, and tried calling out "Hello," as he stumbled to his feet. No voice though - and the headache suddenly increased into a daydream of sorts where he remembered a blinding light, calling out for his brother Sam and angel mentor Castiel and something about the end of the world. The last flash he remembered is Cas grabbing his arm as his brother, playing prom dress to Lucifer, fell dying. As the vision faded Dean whipped around, instinctively looking for his younger brother. "Sam," he hoarsely called out. "Cas? - Anyone?" Nothing. Either option was unlikely. Sam had given himself over to Lucifer and Castiel was Heaven-bound. There were just birds, a gentle breeze, and Dean in the middle of somewhere. He checked his arm and found the same painful hand print as the one that raised him from Perdition. Had he died? Again? Had Sam? Again? Where was he?

Then metal scraping on metal and the sound of kids yelling. Dean made his way towards it and found himself in a park, a playground occupying children as watchful parents and nannies sat nearby. He shook the dust off and considered talking to someone before thinking better of it. He turned and walked to the nearest road. He found a hotel and stumbled into the lobby.

"Well, you look worse for the wear," said the front desk jockey, amused.  
"Room," Dean cave-manned. He handed over one of his many credit cards. The jockey went to run it. The beep of failure rang out from the machine, once, twice. The jockey looked at the card and smirked.  
"Buddy, what do you take me for?" He asked. "This card's valid from date ain't til 2008."  
Dean rolled his eyes. "Yeah, so?"  
"Yeah, so, wanna give me a card that is actually valid before 3 years from now?"  
Dean shrank back a bit. "Excuse me?"  
"Look pal, cash or no room."

Dean angrily reached into his pocket and took out a fistful, tossing the money over the counter. "Just give me the damn key!" The receptionist hesitantly obliged. Dean stumbled down the hall and into an all-too-familiar room with two double beds. For the first time in years, one would be empty. He collapsed in a heap on the bed and slept.

Daylight, just like Dean had fallen asleep in. He knew it was 2:55 but he had no idea what day, what month, or - given the last conversation he'd had - what year. He sat up on the bed and took out his cell. No service. His stomach rumbled. He freshened himself up quickly and sauntered out the door. Eventually he stumbled into nearby suburbia and the nearest drug store. Dean grabbed a water from the cold beverage center and went up front to pay.

"What the hell is this, Monopoly money?" The cashier tossed back the $5 bill Dean had passed over.  
"Where the hell you been - under a rock?" Dean shot back.

He had no patience for this crap again. The cashier opened the drawer and produced a bill...the way $5 bills looked before the Treasury redid them. "Here in the USA the money's still green," the cashier snarked. Confused, Dean pulled a couple of ones out of his pocket. He started to walk away when a whistle stopped him. "Hey, your change...?" the cashier asked, tossing it on the stack of newspapers.

Dean returned to grab the change, but something in newsprint caught his eye. He grabbed the newspaper under it instead. The dateline. His eyes grew wide. Two thousand and five. 2005. "What. The..." He gasped, mentally trying to process everything. He looked through the rest of the papers in disbelief - was this some kind of joke? 2005, 2005, 2005. Same dateline on all of them. He walked out with the paper, down the step, onto the sidewalk, and almost into the path of an oncoming car. Ignoring the driver's recourse he found the nearest bench and continued to scan this too-old paper. He looked around. He took his cellphone out of his coat and flipped it open. No service. He spotted a man on a bench not too far away.

"Hey buddy, what's up with the service in this town?" He asked.  
"Oh yeah, only one tower around here," the man said. "Hey - that's a fancy phone you got there." The man took his own out. It was a big, solid one-piece, not the small flip Dean kept.  
"Where'd ya get it?" Wide-eyed, Dean could not reply. He got up instead and took a walk to process things. He went to the nearest parking lot and tried to play it off as though he was looking for his car.

2005, he thought. Two-thousand-and-frickin-five. Dean tried to remember. Hunting. With Dad. Sam. At college. Jess. Azazel. It was all slowly coming back. Dean met up with Sam again late fall - around Halloween. Dateline of the paper said October 14. It was before. Everyone was still alive, except Mom.

Castiel. He did this. He sent Dean back. But why? And Sam. What had become of him? And where was Castiel? Dean needed help. He spotted a nearby phone both. He dumped in change and called Bobby. Was Bobby still alive? If this was 2005 then yes. Answering machine. "Bobby!" He growled. "It's Dean...call me back the second you get this." He slammed the phone down, only to realize that he would not get Mr. Singer's return call. "Stupid," Dean muttered to himself. He wracked his brain. Sam? Missing. Castiel? Same. Bobby? Not home.

Deeper memories. Ellen? She'd be alive now too. When did he meet Ellen, Jo and Ash? Not yet. They'd know John but not him. Should he head to the Roadhouse? No - too many questions would come out of it. He needed someone else, someone who could help him figure out not only where he was but when, and why. Pamela? He flipped through the phone book again and realized where he was. Or rather - who he was closest to in his formerly shrinking but now large Apocalypse Tragic Theater. Castiel had planned it well, if this whole deal was his doing. Dean had someone else he could talk to. Someone nearby. Someone who could help him figure things out.

He needed a ride. Suddenly missing his baby, he scanned around the lot for something appropriate. He found it - a 1967 Chevelle SS was taking up a lonely spot in the back of the lot. Unlocked - even better. Dean slipped in and hotwired it. As the engine turned over the radio came to life, joining Bachman Turner Overdrive's "Let it Ride" mid-verse. For the first time all day a smile made an appearance on Dean Winchester's face. Not the Impala but almost like it was meant to be.

_Tragic Bachelor Pad Of Lousy Yet Remarkably Accurate Writing._

Dean rapped on the door insistently. "Open the door," he growled. The door opened just a creak, chain still attached. "We need to talk," Dean growled.  
"Who are you?" came the voice from the other side. "Please just go away."

Adrenaline-pumped Dean pushed on the door, breaking the chain off. "I'm selling Girl Scout cookies," he joked. "Samoas? Or Tagalongs?" He made his way into the messy house.

"You can't be here," Chuck Shurley, aka Carver Edlund, aka a Prophet of the Lord, aka Potentially the Lord himself, replied. His eyes were bloodshot and he was holding a bat unconvincingly. Not that he was going to use it anyway.

"Do you know who I am?" Dean asked. Chuck was muttering - this is not real, this is not happening. "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?" Dean said again.  
"You - you're -" Chuck sputtered. "Dean. You're Dean. I don't know how though."  
Dean nodded. Good. "Chuck, I need you to listen to me. You're a Prophet. The headaches? The manuscripts? It's God's word, straight from heaven to your cracked out brain, to that ancient typewriter you keep in that lousy excuse for a dining room."

Chuck glanced back to said lousy excuse for a dining room. This Dean guy was remarkably accurate. Chuck dropped the bat and collapsed against the nearest piece of furniture. "Sonofabitch."

"You're just going to have to go with it," Dean continued, barking like a marine. "Because I don't have time to explain. I need your help."  
Chuck nodded. "Want a beer?" He asked. Dean relaxed ever so slightly.

Couch, a few minutes later. Chuck used his arm to drag a pile of books and papers off of it to give his guest a place to sit. "So," Chuck said nervously. "You're Dean. And...you got...sent back here."

Dean leaned forward. "OK, so...so I did travel back in time?" He couldn't believe the words even as he said them.

Chuck shrugged. "I don't understand it either," the gangly Prophet said.  
"When did you start..." Dean began.  
"Getting headaches? Seeing things? Feeling compelled to write ridiculous, angst-ridden stories about people I don't even know?" Chuck ranted, his voice increasing with every word while his arms flailed about.  
"Yeah, that." Dean said.  
"About two months ago. You and your brother are a real barrel of laughs so far."  
"Sam? Where is he?" Dean wondered.  
"Not sure," Chuck said slowly. "I'm only seeing pieces right now. I was writing a different book until two days ago. You and Sam looking for your Dad. Then it was like you fell out of the sky or something. Almost like no one knew you were here at first. I had to start a new book."  
Dean rubbed his forehead. "Great. The big watchtower in the sky had no idea where I was but someone dragged me here. That doesn't leave too many options."  
"I don't know who brought you here, if that's what you're asking," Chuck demurred. "Not yet, anyway."

Dean tried to think of a reason why a demon would bring him back to this point. He wasn't even sure a demon could do this.

"What do I do next?" He asked. "Why am I here?" Chuck, staring at his time-displaced visitor, didn't speak. Then he realized Dean was looking at him expectantly.  
"Oh, uh, you mean, literally, what do you do next."  
Dean raised a brow to confirm the duh.  
"Well...you, uh, find an angel."

"Castiel?" Dean was excited by the prospect - the nerd angel was alive, and somewhere around.  
"No, not Castiel. Don't know who that is. The angel I'm writing about is Raziel."  
Dean groaned.  
"Another damn angel. How many of these clowns am I going to have to go through?" Chuck nervously ticked. As this visit went on the only person's whose sanity he doubted more than his own was Dean's.  
"So where do I find him?" Dean asked, surly.  
"Not a him. It's a her - she's a her - you know what I mean. And it's just her vessel right now. She's a grad student."  
"Where?" Dean asked, getting up to leave as soon as he had the next tidbit. "Tell me where."

_Lawrence, Kansas._

Sam Winchester's remarkably broad forehead was pounding as his eyes snapped open. He found himself slightly below ground level in a sandy crater. He sat up. He blinked a few times. He noticed that though all the earth around him had been blown out of its roots, one tree sat fine next to him, still in bloom. Mounds of earth were above and around him. He crawled out of the crater. Sam heard the unmistakable lows and moos of cows. He smelled that not-so-fresh smell on manure. He spotted one Angus, and then another, and then another.

"Dean?" He asked, looking around. His brother was nowhere to be found. "Castiel? Bobby? Anybody?" Only cows. He rotated his right shoulder, suddenly feeling pain. He looked down to see a handprint branded into it. It was a mark he'd seen before. Had he been dead? Was he in hell? Heaven? Sam tried to recall a memory in a cow pasture but came up blank.

A tractor circa-1978 rolled up to him. "Son, you alright?" A man called down to him from the tractor. Sam just nodded. "You look like you fell out of a plane. Or space, maybe. You an alien?" Sam shook his head. "You talk, boy?"  
"Yeah, sorry - where am I?"  
"Kansas. You're in Kansas."

Great, Sam thought. Back where it all began.

A little while later Sam was sitting at the farmhouse table, the wife and son of the place staring at their strange new visitor. "You have funny clothes," the son, who was 10 or so, blurted out.  
"Don't be rude!" admonished the wife. Sam slumped in his chair, bitchfacing a bit.

"You didn't see anyone else here - a guy, a little older than me? Shorter hair? Angry-looking, maybe?" They all shook their heads no. Sam heard static and his attention transferred to the family TV, a brown box with faux-wood paneling and two rabbit ears that made him smile. On the TV was an episode of "Dallas."

"Oh, hey, I remember this one!" Sam said. The father smiled.  
"Yep, family's favorite show."  
"Man this is an oldie," Sam continued. "Before Bobby died."

He stopped when he realized they were all staring at him as though he were crazy. "Son, whatever are you talking about? Bobby's been alive this whole time." Sam looked confused.  
"No, no, he died in like '85. I saw the repeats. Then he came back. You know."  
"Eighty-five?" The father asked, more than a little freaked out. "Where exactly did you say you were from again?"

Sam clamped up. He rolled his jaw, suddenly just as wary of this family as they were of him. "California," he answered slowly, cautiously. "Palo Alto." He looked around the house more. He saw the clues. The green countertop. The magazine covers. This family clearly hadn't gotten out since about 1983. Or had they not been human since then? He squinted, looking for beetle-black eyes.

Sam stood up quickly, the family echoing his moves. Their eyes never left Sam's. "You know what, I should go. You have been way too kind to me already and my family is probably worried about me." "I thought you said you were from California," the father said, slowly. Purposefully. "Yeah, they are, we're here visiting my aunt Joan. And I don't want her to think I'm a runaway too." Sam shuffled towards the door. "Thanks though!" And with that, the younger Winchester ran out the door and into the field. He sprinted as his adrenaline allowed, and when he finally felt he had enough space between him and the house he turned around. Sam expected to see demons with knives but instead he only saw the family standing in their doorway looking confused. Sam was confused too. He slowed to a walk and continued out to the county road.

A couple of hours later, in the middle of the night, Sam found himself in town. Maybe because he was unsure and just needed some grounding, or maybe because of morbid curiosity, Sam found himself walking towards the house that the Winchesters used to live in. He got to the road and turned towards the side where house number 1841 sat.

From a few houses away he saw it. The unmistakable silhouette of Metallicar. Dean must have headed here earlier, Sam thought to himself. Way to wait for me. Something was different though. The license plates weren't right. They looked...different. Maybe Dean had swapped them. Sam stopped a house away in the middle of the street. He could see on an angle that the Impala's window was down. He approached it, and popped the trunk. But the trunk was empty - and missing some important contents. Sam unhinged the false bottom. But instead of artillery he found a spare tire. And then he heard a gun cock too close to his head.

"Step away from the car," a voice said. A familiar voice. "Nice and slow. Don't want to start trouble." Sam put his arms up and took a few steps back. The man kept the gun pointed at Sam's head.

"I don't want any trouble either," Sam said. "I know this car."  
"You the old owner or something? I bought it from a guy in town - legally, I might add." Sam's brow furrowed. He knew the voice. It clicked. He tried to see the man through his peripheral vision but couldn't. After a few seconds he slowly turned it. The face that greeted him caused his face to turn to shock.

"...Dad?" Sam exhaled. "Is that you?" The barrel stayed focused on him, but he chuckled. "My boys are 4 and 6 months, so unless you're Dean after one hell of a growth spurt..."

Six months? Did John Winchester, Sam's dead-but-now-alive-again Dad, say six months? Sam rushed to put the pieces together.

"Sorry, sorry, I, uh..." he stuttered. "Look, I used to live here. And I had a car that looked a lot like this one. I had to sell it before leaving. I guess I just thought..."

John grimaced. He decided the kid was no threat and took the gun down. "Alright, well, you look like a big but harmless fellow. You need to use our phone?"  
Sam exhaled. "Yeah, yeah, that would be great."

John nodded for Sam to follow. He did. He saw a small silhouette in the doorway. Once closer he knew it was Dean. Sam's older brother Dean, age 4. Sam didn't know where his contemporary brother was but now Sam knew where he was. The only question was...

"John?" A female voice this time. "Who is it?"

"Some kid, Mary. Get him a glass of water, would ya?" Sam tried to fight them back, but his eyes welled up with tears. His mom. Alive. Which meant baby Sam - himself - was upstairs. Did John say 6 months? Was Sam turning 6 months old tonight?

_Lush Coastal Rainforests of Central South Dakota._

The Chevelle roared into Singer's Scrap Metal Yard as Dean slid it into a spot. From his usual perch atop a blue truck, Rumsfeld the dog lifted his head to let out a lazy woof. Dean got out of the car and headed towards the house. The dog tracked his every step but couldn't be bothered to get up. Dean headed inside.

"Bobby?" He called. And from the next room Robert Singer appeared, bound to no wheelchair. And his soul appeared intact.  
"Dean Winchester," he said, frowning in a non-menacing way. "Where's your Dad?" Dean blinked. Dad.  
"He's, uh, out on a hunt," Dean quickly improvised. "Sent me here to get a few things." Dean strolled over to Bobby and put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "You look good, Bobby. Better than ya have in awhile."

Bobby's face twisted. "Dean, ya idjit. I seen you what, five times this year?"  
"I don't know Bobby, you've just...always struck me as a great guy. A role model even."  
"Son, you been drinkin'?" Bobby asked, smelling the air.  
"No." Bobby glanced back at his desk where an empty shot glass sat with a bottle of whisky nearby.  
"You want to?"

A couple shots down, Dean stared into his empty shot glass. It refracted what he saw - his hands, Bobby, the room. Maybe time and space. He closed his eyes and shook his head wondering if Speed Racer would re-appear. But no, Bobby was still alive and walking. Dean plotted. He had to keep a cover for now until he had things sorted out. Play things close to the chest. But he needed answers too.

Dean allowed his face to slip into a crooked, drunk smile.  
"Can I ask you something," he asked, trilling his voice a bit. Bobby, who was a good 3 or 4 shots ahead of Dean, looked up slowly with bloodshot eyes.  
"Wut?" Dean knew he had to sell past Bobby's skepticism. Drunk or not.  
"Me and Dad were on this hunt a week or two back. This guy - he claimed he was an angel. Said he'd taken over a host body. You ever heard of anything like that?"

Bobby leaned back in his chair. "I've heard of demonic posession. But angels? I don't know."

Dean stared towards the ground so Bobby couldn't see the lie. "This guy said he was chosen by the angel. He called himself a vessel. Said he was on a mission. The angel asked him to do things so he did them - trials of a sort. Then once he passed enough tests the angel said the guy was ready, and told him all he had to do was let the angel take over his body. And his friend said they'd performed some kind of ritual to get the angel there. You ever heard of something like that?"

Bobby chewed on it. His brow furrowed. He shook his head. Dean expected to be thrown out.

"About 10 years ago I was on a hunt in some town in the middle of nowhere. Someone claimed there were all these miracles happening. Checked it out. There was a guy, like your nutjob, who claimed he was touched by an angel. There were signs around the town - electrical storms, crops dying - the usual."

Dean gulped. This was not looking good.

"So I finally manage to corner the guy in a bar. I went to take him out back when these three guys grab us both and drag us out into the woods. They had been possessed. By demons. Never seen anything like it. But what's nuts is this next thing. They shine a light on the guy, and I swear I saw a 20-foot set of shadow wings behind him. And when the demons tried to stab him his eyes went all white and he blasted them the hell outta there."

Dean leaned forward again.

"Never told anybody about it. Stopped hunting the guy too. Just left town. So do I believe in angels? Hell, there's crazier stuff out there. Demons, ghosts, spirits, whatever. Angels seem to fit right in."

Dean nodded, as though he was taking in all this for the first time. "I did take a souvenir though," Bobby continued. "The guy's friend, he gave me this amulet. Said it was like a geolocator for God. I gave it to your brother a ways back. Seen it around your neck a few times." He nodded over in Dean's direction. Dean went to clutch it. The amulet wasn't there though. He inhaled, eyes wide. The amulet. He'd thrown it out. That complicated things to say the least.

"You got any books on this stuff," Dean started carefully. He tried to throw a look of ambivalence, shrugging. "How to summon an angel? Stuff like that?"

Bobby chuckled. "Yeah I got some. Looking for a little nighttime reading?"  
"You could say that."

Bobby chuckled again and shook his head. He went over to the bookcase and grabbed two old, dusty books. "Here ya go," he said, plopping them in Dean's lap. "You planning on summoning some angels?"

"Yes," Dean said, looking straight at Bobby. Telling the truth but playing it off as a bold-faced lie. Once a few seconds had passed he laughed. "Naw," Dean reproached. "I just want to know what it's all about."  
Bobby laughed too. "Alright kid. It's getting dark. You wanna crash here tonight?"  
Dean nodded. "Can you help me with my car too?"  
"The Impala? What's wrong with it?"  
"No, not the Impala. I had to hotwire something. Need to switch out the ignition for something with keys and get new plates on it."  
Bobby smiled. "No problem. He put out his arms like a tv spokesmodel. "Take your pick!"

Dean had planned to spend the night reading but he was exhausted, what with time traveling and making his way across states and time and such. Bobby shook him awake the next morning. "Breakfast?" He asked, handing Dean a cup of coffee. Dean accepted.

A little while later he was putting the heavy books into the Chevelle's trunk and getting ready to hit the road. Bobby gave Dean a few supplies Dean had faux-requested on his father's behalf - including a new cellphone. He gave Bobby a man hug.

"See ya around, Bobby," Dean said.  
"Yeah, sure Dean. You stay safe out there, alright? And say hello to your Dad for me."

Dean half-smiled. He was so tempted to just drive til he found his Dad. But with only fuzzy memories of where the man might be and unable to shake the info from Chuck, he was sticking to his still-forming plan for now. "We're split up at the moment on hunts, me and my Dad," he said. "But when I do catch up with him I'll let him know." And I will catch up with him, Dean thought to himself. Just not yet.

Dean slipped into the car and turned the key in its new ignition. It turned over. With a wave out his window and a return one from Bobby in the rearview Dean was off.

Bobby shook his head as the young Winchester sped away. Angels? Crazy talk. He heard one of his phones ringing so he headed back inside. He grabbed one of the few unlabeled phones in his kitchen. "Hello?" He said, listening to the response. "Oh yeah, no problem. I got plenty. Head on over when ya have a chance. Where are you? Oh yeah? Sounds like a party," Bobby conversed. "Oh, hey, John, Dean just left...yeah Dean..." Bobby's face slowly fell as John told Bobby Dean was with him. "Whaddya mean with you? He just left, not even 5 minutes ago. No, I don't know where he was going...well then who the hell was that..." Bobby's voice trailed off. "John, let me call you back."

Bobby hit the connector in the cradle. He started to dial out to the cellphone he'd just given to whoeever that was that just left but thought better of it. Whoever this guy is, Bobby thought to himself, at least I can track him. He wondered what kind of man (thing?) stops by asking about angels. He turned back towards his desk and strolled over to the almost empty whiskey bottle. He splashed the last of it down his throat straight from the bottle and winced at the sour taste. "Sonofabitch," he said out loud to no one in particular.


	2. Dead Weight

**Dead Weight.**

_Terre Haute, Indiana._

At a local diner, a man sat by himself eating dinner. He had a heavy plate of steak with french fries and lots of ketchup, mostly eaten. Despite this he looked fit. The man wore overalls with a Carhartt over them. He had on a John Deere hat. He wore his reading glasses as he scanned the local paper. He was one of only 5 or 6 people at the diner, staff included. The man looked up when the door opened. His wife strolled in.

"How was bingo?" The man asked his wife.  
"I won $200," she replied.  
He nodded his approval and stood up so they could go home.

They walked out to their car. As they made their way through a muddy parking lot, the man heard what sounded like angry dogs barking behind him. He turned to look and the noises stopped. Confused, the man scanned the area. It wasn't well lit. He couldn't see anything. His wife was already inside their truck and tapped on the window. The husband dismissed the oddity and got in.

They drove home. Bedtime prep. His wife was brushing her teeth. The man was finishing his paper in the study. He sat in a recliner by an open window. He heard it again. Dogs. Snarling. Barking. The man looked out the window. Nothing. Then, a crash in the kitchen, startling him. As he got up to take a look his doorbell rang.  
He ignored the crash in favor of the front door. The man opened it.

"Jeff, hey," his neighbor Doug said. "Listen, have you seen any dogs around here? Mine got loose."  
"I didn't know you had dogs, Doug." Jeff replied.  
"That's probably because you've never seen them," Doug said, his eyes flipping beetle black. A demon. "They are invisible after all."

Jeff backed away in fear and heard another crash behind him. And growling. His wife came trotting down the stairs.

"Is someone at the door?" She asked.  
Doug looked past Jeff."Oh, there you are," demonically enhanced Doug said. "Bad dog. You hungry? Come and get 'em."

The hellhound launched itself at Jeff as the demon watched. It sank its teeth in and splattered blood over Doug's face. Jeff's wife screamed as another hellhound latched onto her. Doug watched the couple get torn limb from limb.  
"Another bloodline taken care of," the demon said.

_Lawrence, Kansas._

Sam was subconsciously chewing on his nails. He was sitting in a local diner over breakfast which he of course was barely eating. The newspaper before him revealed part of the source of his nervousness. The dateline was 1983. Baby Sam Winchester was five months old. Adult Sam Winchester wanted to curl into the fetal position. It was about 4 weeks before the night his Mom would be killed. Sam was pretty sure Castiel had sent him here - why? For a chance to stop things? Dean had tried once and it didn't work. To see it happen? To kill the yellow-eyed demon? Sam wasn't sure.

Sam still hadn't seen his brother, at least not adult Dean. Young Dean had gotten him a glass of water the night before and asked after Sam's awesome kicks. In the diner Sam stared off into space. What should he do? Sam had no idea where Castiel was or how to even contact him. Were the Enochian symbols still on Sam's ribs? He didn't know. Bobby didn't know the Winchesters yet, Harvelle's Roadhouse wasn't built yet and even if it were who knows if Ellen would be there. Jo wasn't even born yet. Would Ash be at MIT now? Sam had no clue. There were no cellphones, the Internet didn't exist yet and baby Sam's highest brain function included sucking his thumb. Adult Sam stared out the window. Was the yellow-eyed demon in town? No headaches yet. No visions. Would those still happen? The waitress came by to refill his coffee and snapped him back into reality. If you could call it that.

Sam hadn't noticed but a girl was watching him from the bar. Unable to hold out any longer she slid into the booth bench opposite him.

"Scuse me," she said. "I couldn't help but notice - you're not from around here. And you look like you have a lot on your mind. Everything OK?"  
Sam looked up and locked eyes with a pretty girl about his age. He managed a small smile back. "Sorry, I'm not really in the mood for chatting," he said.  
She smiled back fully in return. "No problem," she said. "But I think you need some company."

She slid the newspaper out from under Sam's hands and opened it, starting to read. Sam bitchfaced, but knew he had a talking partner whether he wanted one or not.

"You're gonna think this is crazy," he finally said after a few minutes. "But have you ever had a dream so real you felt like you were living it?"  
The girl tipped down just a corner of the paper. "Sure, all the time. I dream about me and Rick Springfield, married with two kids. A boy and a girl. Me living the life in Los Angeles." She stared off for a moment. "But then I wake up."  
"Well," said Sam, "What if you don't wake up?"  
She laughed. "You a zombie or something?"

Sam half smiled. He hadn't considered it - was he? No, no. That seemed unlikely.

"I guess I'm just confused." He finally relaxed a bit."My name is Sam. Sam...Hagar."  
"Hee, like the singer? That's pretty funny." She held out her hand. "Joey Woodson. Nice to meet you."

Sam shook the outstretched hand. His shoulder still stung a bit."Woodson, how do I know that name?" He searched his brain's archive.  
"Oh, probably because of Woodson's garage. My Dad used to own it. He died a few years back though. Now John Winchester runs the place. He kept the name though, such a sweet guy."

Sam bit his lip as he remembered. If time was holding up at all it was Anna who'd killed this poor girl's Dad. Yet another life the Winchesters were responsible for ending. But that was then and this was...also then. But a more recent one. A plan clicked in Sam's college boy head.

"Hey, you know, I met John Winchester last night. Seems like a cool guy," Sam began. Joey nodded. "I'm new in town and I need a job. I saw a sign in the garage window. Think you could help me get hired?"

Joey thought about it. "You any good with cars?"  
"Yeah sure, I know all about tuning carburetors and calibrating wheels and stuff," he lied.  
Joey seemed bemused. "Uh huh. Well, lucky for you I know John's so desperate for help he'd probably take a guy with no hands at this rate."

Sam let the slight pass. He asked Joey if they could head over right then. She agreed. Sam dropped a few dollars on the table and they headed to the shop.

Another person had been watching him from the counter. And as Sam and Joey left the diner the counter dweller watched him go. His eyes flipped beetle black.

_Fort Collins, Colorado. _

Dean arrived while it was still dark out. He stopped at a gas station to refill. A group of kids were also there and from the looks of it they were causing trouble. Dean grimaced and rolled his eyes as he saw them trashing the inside of the store. He went to pop the trunk where he was hiding the supplies from Bobby. He grabbed a small automatic loaded with rock salt shots more out of habit than anything. Then he strolled towards the store. Outside one of the bikers sat on his bike, arms crossed. As Dean approached the college kid stared him down. Finally as he got close Dean watched his eyes flip beetle black. Dean didn't know how he knew but he'd known. Just can't get away from it. He tightened his jaw and walked in, ignoring the demon outside for now. He pretended to avoid the confrontation at first, instead heading back towards the beverage center. He grabbed a 2-liter of water, opened it, said a quick prayer and dropped in a rosary. There were three of them. Dean calculated, he plotted. And then he walked up front.

The demonically enhanced teens backed away to let Dean approach the register, where Dean paid for his gas. He met the frightened cashier's eye and winked. When Dean turned around he'd been swarmed by the three. He smiled.

"Hey guys," he said calmly. "Looking for something?"

The demons shot confused looks at each other. Dean looked at each of them and tried to decipher what they were thinking. Were they confused because they recognized him? Or confused because he was so calm? After a few seconds one of them stepped forward.

"What are you doing here?" The demon asked.  
"Oh, you know, just topping her off and refilling," he said, pointing to the water he was cradling in his arm.  
"Oh?" said the demon. "Funny, we're refilling too..."

And with that he took a swing at Dean, who ducked to avoid it. Another demon sucker punched Dean from the side causing him to drop the water. It rolled away from him down the aisle. Dean swung back quickly, grabbing the snack display off the counter and hitting one of the demons with it. It staggered back as the other two swooped in to take its place. Dean clocked the second demon with a right jab and pushed it back into the demon behind it. Then he scrambled for the holy water. He shook the water bottle and flipped off the lid. He sprayed the water at the demons and watched as they backed away in pain. Once he was confident they were incapacitated Dean started Latinating. The fourth demon ran in just as he was beginning - perfect timing. He completed the exorcism spell as quickly as he could. He was surprised to even remember it. Finally their mouths flew open as streams of dark black smoke exploded out of their mouths and towards the ceiling. It swarmed until Dean was done and then it disappeared into the night. The kids all collapsed, fainted.

Dean turned to check on the cashier. He had the phone in his hands to call the police but was frozen in shock. Dean smiled to himself. He found himself in front of the porn rack. _Busty Asian Beauties_ were waiting for him. He picked up a copy.

"Mind if I take this one?" He asked.  
"Take it," the cashier whispered.

Dean smiled and waved a thanks. He exited the mart and replaced the gas nozzle. And then he took off for the nearest diner.

_Ridiculously scenic mountain university town._

Dean pulled into one of the university parking lots and got out of the car. He saw students walking across the large plaza from building to building, some sitting outside in the dry sun. He headed towards the admissions building. At the front desk he spotted a young female college student. A young, hot female college student. Perfect, he thought.

Dashing El Deano flashed the pearly whites. "Hi there," he said in his best drawl. "I'm hoping you can help me. See, my sister, she's a student, and well, Daddy sent me because we haven't heard from her in weeks. I'm hoping you can help me find her."

The girl raised a brow and gave him the once over. She cleared her throat. From a desk nearby, her boss leaned out of his cubicle to do the same. Dean flashed the same grin and waved. The boss bitchfaced but slid back into the cube.

The girl leaned in. "I'm sorry but I can't help you. Colorado State is not authorized to give out information about its students."  
Dean leaned in closer yet. "Please," he said. "Help me."  
The girl slid a sticky note and a pen towards him. She leaned back. "I'm sorry, sir, but I can't help you." She tapped the pen to the sticky note and handed the pen to Dean. "Sorry."

A little while later, Dean had the girl's address, her schedule and her GPA. He stopped by the girl's dorm room. Her roommate said she was at the library working on a research project. And that she'd be the only one in the library listening area at almost midnight on a Friday.

Dean entered the library and headed up to the second floor. He spotted her from across the floor. She was tall with long dark hair and, as Dean noticed, a nice ass. Dean paused to compose himself. Once ready he went up and tapped her softly on the shoulder. She removed her headphones and spun around. Dean found himself momentarily distracted, just long enough to make the young woman uncomfortable.

"Can I help you?" She asked, flashing a smile.  
"Um, yes, sorry. Well this is kind of awkward. Has anyone told you that you're really pretty?"  
The girl smiled, amused. "Thanks, but I have a boyfriend."

She turned to put her headphones back on but Dean ducked back into her sight.  
"Well, actually, you know your roommate Heather?" The girl nodded. "Well, I have this crush on her. But I'm too nervous to go up to her. And I was kind of hoping you could tell me a bit about her and, you know, help me hook up with her?"

Dean flashed a semi-confident smile at the last part. Playing it smooth as always. The girl weighed this man. Was he a stalker? Just plain crazy? Or a genuine guy? She settled on the last option.

"Heather, huh? I suppose I could help a dude out. For a price," she said, her smile turning sly. "Buy me a beer and I'll tell you what you need to know."

Dean smiled back. Like a charm, it worked.

_Frat-boy infested bar._

Dean tried to pace himself but the girl, who formally introduced herself as Alexis Parker, drank even slower. Everyone called her Alex she said and Dean should do the same. Except tonight Dean was Keith Richards to cover his ass. He had hoped to get her drunk quickly so he could start unloading his plan on her, but this girl wasn't going to be drunk till next Thursday at this rate. And Dean didn't want to wait that long. He was trying to lie about why he wanted to date Alex's roommate but it just wasn't coming together for him. At all. And Alex was clearly starting to see through it.

She was starting to tire and he was starting to get bored. And then it got worse when a friend - a male friend - came up to talk to Alex. Dean bitchfaced. The guy introduced himself to Dean as Greg. When Dean went to shake his hand though, he watched in horror as Greg's eyes flipped beetle black. Dean met his enemy's glare, but Greg's human pupils returned before he turned back to Alex. Dean was now convinced the demons knew who he was.

"Who is this guy?" The demon formerly known as Greg said to Alex. "Chad wouldn't like this. We should get out of here."

Dean watched frustratingly as Alex nodded in agreement. She put the half-drunken bottle back on the bar and stepped down from her stole. Dean grabbed her wrist.

"No, come on, I need your help," he implored.  
"Dude, I'm tired and you're boring, so no offense but I'm out," Alex rejected him.

Dean watched helplessly as his vessel target left with Greg. As they walked out the front he slipped out the back and into the car. Dean drove around the block until they made it to demon Greg's car and then followed them back to Alex's dorm. He had watched them get out of the car and head in. He waited outside of the sorta secure facility until a couple of kids came out, then slipped in. He punched the elevator to the 3rd floor. Dean heard the screams before door opened. He ran down the hall to Alex's room and threw the door open. She was inside, demon Greg's hands around her neck. He looked over with a smile.

"Persistent, aren't we?" The demon asked.  
Dean brandished his gun. "Let her go," Dean ordered.  
It was never that easy though. The demon's smile stayed. "Who? Her? First tell me, Dean Winchester, what exactly do you want with this girl?"  
Alex looked over at Dean - this monster knew him? And called him by a different name?  
"She's my cousin."  
"Unlikely. You're different too, although I can't say how. We've been following you and your Daddy for awhile now. Your brother too. But it seems like you already knew that. Here's the strange thing though, a couple of my friends are following you and Pops right now in Minnesota. So tell me, how is it that you're in two places at once?"

His grip on Alex's neck tightened and she gagged.  
"You want to learn my trick? Fine. But let her go."  
"Sorry, can't do that. Not about to let go of something you want so badly."

Alex, having had enough, stomped down on the monster's foot as hard as she could. It caused demon Greg to release his grip just enough so she could fall back coughing. Dean used the opportunity to pelt him with rock salt. The demon staggered back a few steps and reached for stability. Once stabilized he righted himself and ran back into the kitchen.

Dean followed him, gun at the ready the entire way. There was only one place to hide in there - the laundry room. Dean approached slowly. He took his right hand off the gun and started to reach for the door when the demon launched himself out. Dean fell on his back and scooted a safe distance away as the demon approached with a knife. Dean reached into his jacket and as the demon landed on him Dean caught its wrist with his left hand and sank his own knife into it with his right hand. It wasn't his preference to kill the demon but that's how it ended. The demon's face glowed momentarily before Greg's body slumped on top of Dean. He pushed it off and got to his feet.

Once upright Dean was surprised to see Alex's scared face meeting his own calm look. She rubbed her neck absently. "I figured you were halfway to Denver by now," he cracked.  
"Heather's dead!" she cried in return.

Dean ran down the hall to check and sure enough Alex's roommate had been slaughtered sometime since Dean had left. "Crap," he said. He turned back to Alex. "You need to get out of here," he said.

"Oh sure. I'm totally going to go with the creepy guy who lied about his name with the guns and the knives who just shot my friend and was interested in my now-dead roommate. Did I mention the creepiness factor is off the charts here?"  
"Alex," Dean said. "I know how this looks but I just saved you! And Mr. Cool and Infected over there..." he said, pointing to Greg. "There are more like him coming right now for you. If we don't leave now we might not make it."

She looked into his eyes to weigh the truth. While she was considering it her dorm room door started pounding. And pounding. And then it flew open, with Alex's demonically enhanced floor advisor plus two floormates waiting.

"Alex," the former watchdog said. "It's past floor curfew. All visitors must leave by any means necessary."

The advisor held her hand up and Dean went flying backwards towards the window. It crashed apart as he hit it but Dean fell aside. Alex stumbled back. As the group approached her she gathered all of her strength and pushed a bookcase down on top of them. Then she helped Dean to his feet. They ran back towards the suite-separating door, opened it and ran through.  
Next door, her suitemate was making out with her boyfriend on the bed. Dean's primal instinct got the better of him just long enough to stick out his hand to high five the dude. Lucky dude. They made it to the emergency stairs and flew down them.

In the lot, Dean pulled Alex towards his car. He started it and peeled out just as the demons ran out the door. They tried to follow for a bit but quickly gave up their chase. Alex watched until the demons disappeared from view and then turned to face forward. She stared blankly as the past hour's events caught up with her. Then she turned to Dean.

"Who are you?" She insisted. "And what the hell just happened?"  
"My name is Dean Winchester," he replied. "And I'm a demon hunter. Those were demons. And I saved you from them." He quickly glanced over at her. "You can thank me later."  
She scoffed. "OK, why were they after me?"  
"I'd love to sit here and have story time but I think we should find someplace less likely to get us both killed first. Is there somewhere we can go?"  
After a moment she nodded. "My parents live just outside Omaha. Get on I-25 North, then take 80 East."

_Lawrence, Kansas._

Sam's hands were covered in slimy blackness. Oil, to be more specific. He was bleeding a car jacked up above him as John Winchester watched. Sam could only hope he remembered how Dean had shown him to do it. Once the oil stopped dripping he grabbed the filter. It took some jimmying but he eventually got it out. Then Sam slid in the replacement filter, replaced the drain plug, filled the oil back up to the proper level and sealed up the reservoir.

"Ahem," John said. "Not the most graceful oil change I ever saw but you did the job." He smiled. "I think I can work with ya. Didn't your Daddy ever have you working on cars?"  
Sam managed a weak smile. "No, sir. My father was a road warrior. Didn't see him much."

No sense in lying on that front. John nodded. He patted Sam on the back. "We'll have you up to speed in no time, Sammy." Sam could only chuckle.

Over the next few days John taught Sam some of the basics from changing tires to replacing spark plugs to setting new brake pedals. It was a simple joy Sam had never known. His Dad was unlike Sam had ever seen him - content and at peace. The youngest Winchester spent his off-time getting to know the town, buying up farmer's almanacs and listening to the farm reports at night for omens. He was staying above the Woodsen's house garage in a bachelor unit. It wasn't glamorous but it was home. Plus, Joey and her mom felt safer having a big strong Ginormotron around.

Sam's mind was on only one thing: stopping Azazel from killing his Mom. Stopping him from dripping demon blood into baby Sam's mouth. Phase one of the plan was earning the Winchester family's trust. So far, so good. Mary and John had both asked Sam if they'd met before, but Michael had kept his promise to wipe their memories of the events of Sam and Dean's last time traveling adventure. Mary brought the boys lunch every day. Dean occasionally tagged along. Sam enjoyed seeing his youthful brother - a clear Mama's boy but so much more innocent then he would be just a month later if Sam didn't succeed. He had to succeed.

At night Sam wondered about adult Dean. He wondered about the Apocalypse. Had Lucifer won? Was this the aftermath? Who sent Sam back here? And was everything the same as Sam had heard about it? What point in the stream of time did he land in? Was Dean dead? Or was he too somewhere lost in the right place, wrong time? Would Sam ever see his brother again?

Sam had checked out a few books from the Lawrence library: _Le Voyageur Imprudent_ by René Barjavel, _Minds, Machines, and the Multiverse_ by Julian Brown and _The Quantum Mechanics of Minds and Worlds_ by Jeffrey A. Barrett. Every book he'd read cautioned against changing past events for fear of destroying known futures. But Sam couldn't think of one future event that justified letting his past remain as it was - not reuniting with his brother, not meeting Jess, not anything. If his parents stay alive and together, Dean and Sam grow up like normal kids. Maybe Sam still meets Jess. Maybe not. The risk was worth it to him. Worth it if it all works out to a normal life. No more hunting. No more brooding. Just a nice, nuclear family.

Sam settled into bed. Through the skylight he could see hundreds of stars above Kansas. Childhood tales came back to him. He wondered if he knew any of those stars.

Sam snapped awake when he heard the door slam. It was the house door first. Then the door to his apartment. He sat up in bed, and watched the door intently. A shotgun purchased at the local hardware store was loaded with rock salt and sat an arm's reach away. Sam heard light footsteps. The incoming air shifted his ajar bedroom door slightly. Then a hand pushed it open. Sam's eyes widened.

And then they relaxed as he saw it was Joey. "You shouldn't be here," he admonished her. Joey looked away, then down, then back at Sam. She was in her nightgown with a light robe over it. She smiled ever-so-slightly and tip toed closer to the bed.

Sam smirked and looked away. "Joey," he sighed.

She sat down next to him on the bed. She smiled at Sam. He started to smile back but then realized something was not quite right. Sam started to reach for the gun but Joey pushed him back against the wall, holding him by the neck. Her eyes filled in black.

"What's the matter? Don't you want company Sam Winchester?" The demon in Joey smiled.  
Sam waited, expecting the eyes to flash yellow. They did not."Who are you?" Sam snarled. "Ruby? Meg?"  
The demon laughed. "No, no. Not Ruby. Certainly not Meg. Definitely not Lilith. And not bad old yellow eyes either. You can skip the guessing Sam, because you have no idea who I am. But I know you. And your brother. Now you just listen to me. A long time ago there was this demon who went around to all the little baby rooms and gave darling infants drops of demon blood to drink. The plan was to raise up a new army for Lucifer. Thing is, Lucifer already had an army in waiting. It just needed a leader. I didn't know the first time around. But now..." the demon trailed off.

"Now I've seen how things could unfold and I know I can do it one better. So you go ahead and stop Azazel if you want. In the end it won't change a thing. Lucifer will rise whether it's your brother that breaks the first seal, your Dad, you, or some other 'righteous' nut. Things are either gonna turn out badly for you Sam, or they're gonna turn out worse."

"I'm here with a choice Sam. You can help me lead this army like you were destined to do. Help me bring on the Apocalypse - now - and we can save all this dragging out over the next 20-whatever years. Or you can try, by yourself, to stop every demon that's trying to free Lucifer." Her voice turned lower. "Which is, by the way Sam, every demon. You can kill us but no matter how many of us you stop there will always be another one ready-in-waiting." She stood up and turned away.

"So how about that Sam? You end up back here and you're right back in the same hole. How's it gonna end this time?" Demonic Joey turned back towards Sam to meet a barrel in her face.  
"I don't care what you say," Sam said, "and I don't care how many of you there are. I will take down every one of you until there is no demon left on this Earth." He cocked the gun.  
"If you shoot me, I kill the host." Said with a shrug.  
"Yeah?" Sam replied, "So?"  
He brought the gun up to aim. "Sam, you're more ready than I thought!" The demon cheerfully replied.

And then, just as suddenly as it had arrived, the demon exited its host, leaving Joey collapsed on the floor. Sam rushed to her once the demon was gone. Her eyes fluttered back to life.

"Sam?" She asked, confused. "How did I get here?"  
"Sleepwalking, I guess," Sam replied. It was clear she remembered nothing. "Let me take you back home."  
"I was having a horrible dream," Joey continued, "I was awake but I couldn't control my body."  
"You're OK now," Sam reassured her. "It was just a nightmare. A bad one. Sometimes I have them too."  
Joey was looking over into the corner of the room. "What is that?" She asked, motioning towards Sam's charged cellphone.  
"Just a fancy walkie-talkie," he said. "Come on, let's get you home." Sam guided her down the steps.


	3. Now It's On

**Now It's On.**

_Council Bluffs, Nebraska._

Dan and Jill Parker were eating dinner in their dining room. Lasagna. Homemade. Dan loved his wife's lasagna. He mmm'mmm'ed a few times to let her know. She smiled and laughed at him. Then he turned to check the football score.

"Really, Dan?" Jill asked. "Can't we just enjoy this dinner?"  
"Sorry, hon, I have money on this game. We're up by 7. I just want to see how it ends!"

The doorbell rang. It was their neighbor Joe. Dan and Joe embraced like the old friends they were. College buddies.  
"My TV ain't working," Joe lamented. "You watching the game?"  
"Absolutely!" Dan confirmed. "Come on in."  
Jill shot Dan a look. "I have to wrap up dinner first. Grab yourself a beer from the kitchen."  
"Thanks friend," Joe said. He went to the kitchen. Instead of grabbing a beer, he grabbed two knives. He tucked one into his jacket and cradled the other in his hand. He walked back to the dining room. Dan was practically inhaling the lasagna.  
"Don't rush on my account!" Joe said. "Especially not your last meal."  
Jill laughed. "You have no idea, Joe."

Joe smiled and walked up behind the couple. "But I do." He grabbed Dan's neck and slashed it. Blood poured out, down his shirt and onto his plate. Jill screamed and stood up but Joe quickly did the same to her. Then his eyes flipped beetle black. He whistled and the dining room window smashed inwards. "Get 'em," the demon inside said to his hellhounds. He turned and walked out as satisfying crunches of bones breaking intensified behind him.

There aren't many hills in Nebraska but Dean felt satisfaction as the Chevelle crested one of them. They had made good time across the long rectangular state once they cleared some overnight construction in eastern Wyoming. Alex had slept a few hours and Dean spent that time listening to the overnight farmers' report, checking for omens. The rest of the trip had been filled not with conversation but with music. He caught her tapping her toes a few times but mostly they were both in their own heads. It had been no trouble for Dean to put down the junior demon crew in Colorado, but he found himself missing his brother a little more with each passing day. Sam would come in handy right now - to help Dean unscramble Chuck's convoluted vision. To help Dean get rid of the demons they came across. To figure out what exactly Dean was supposed to be doing. As a sounding board. As a venting partner. As a brother. Even the usual piece of Sam - Dean's amulet - was lost in time. Dean was still mourning his brother. Never one to let a little logic get in the way of some guilt Dean carried the loss around like an open wound.

It was mid-afternoon when Dean and Alex arrived in town. Dean drove them to the suburban street where Alex's parents lived and pulled up to the curb of a rambler with a nice bay window. Alex popped out of the car practically before it stop. As Dean locked up the car she ran up to the front door and unlocked it. After everything that had happened the night before she just needed a hug.

"Mom, Dad!" She yelled as she walked in. Dean followed a few steps behind.

The smell hit them immediately. Sulfur. Dean trotted in front of Alex and used his arm to keep her from going any further inside. He grabbed his gun out of his jacket and put it to his lips to motion for quiet. Alex slipped in behind him and followed Dean to the kitchen, where he grabbed some salt just in case.

They checked the bedrooms. Empty. As they moved towards the East wing of the house the smell grew stronger. Dean wasn't sure if they were meeting a live demon or not. His gun was the greeting just in case. They crept towards the dining room. Dean lined up aside one side of the entrance and Alex against the other. Dean looked at her to keep her still and then vaulted into the room. He immediately looked away from the sight and uncocked the gun.

Alex followed and gasped. Her parents - or what was left of them - were splayed across the floor, practically ripped to shreds. A meal sat rotting on the table. Dean walked to the window and found traces of sulfur immediately.

"Who did this?" Alex asked in a small voice.  
"Not who, what." Dean said. "Hellhounds." He knew Alex wouldn't know exactly what that meant but would get the drift. The demons were on to his plan. Did they know about Alex too? Dean wasn't sure but it made making her heavenly connection all the more time-sensitive.  
"We have to bury them," Alex said.  
Dean shook his head. "You don't bury them - you burn them."  
She looked shocked at the revelation. "So what, these things are chasing me? Or are they chasing you? And what do we do now?"  
"We find out if those things are still in town. And if they are, we get a few answers from them and then we get rid of them. Then we move on."  
"Do you know why these demons are chasing us?"  
"No." Dean lied.

Alex left the room and walked back towards the den. Dean followed. She opened his top desk drawer and grabbed a key. She unlocked the munitions cabinet. She opened it and started removing the guns, handing one back towards Dean. He looked to her for answers. She shrugged. "If whoever, or whatever did this is chasing us, we're gonna need all the help we can get," she sighed.

_Hotel room of the moment._

Dean re-entered the hotel room they'd booked (two twins, natch) with some food. Alex, who was sitting at the room's table, dabbed her eyes with a wash towel. Dean looked down.

"I'm not much for talking but if you want to..."  
Alex cut him off. "No, no, I'll be fine. Something tells me you're not exactly the tender type anyway."

Relieved, Dean put the bag down on the table and doffed his jacket. Alex poked around the contents of the bag - two cheeseburgers, a huge thing of fries and an ice cream for desert. Sighing, she grabbed a fry. Dean then plopped down a container in front of her. Alex smiled.

"Salad in a cup, huh? How'd you know?" She started shaking it.  
"Well, my brother eats like a girl so I thought there was a good chance."  
"Your brother, right. The one who is maybe dead and maybe the Devil and maybe stuck in some other time and maybe trapped with the devil down in some cage?" The words were coming from Alex's mouth but she was incredulous.  
"I know it sounds crazy," Dean said. "It is crazy. But that's how it went down."  
"And you're from the future, but your angel friend sent you back here to stop the Apocalypse from starting?"  
Dean took a big bite from his cheeseburger. "Pretty much."  
Alex chewed on both her salad and her thoughts. "This is way more interesting than my Cultural Significance of Religion class."  
"Your major was religion?" Dean asked.  
"No, Anthropology. I was studying past cultures for my masters. My thesis was a contrast of religious icons during Greek and early Renaissance times." Alex replied.  
Something clicked in Dean's mind. "So do you speak Greek?"  
"Yeah. And Latin. And a few other languages." Alex said, nodding.  
Dean smiled. This dead weight was suddenly proving her mettle. "Did you have any luck looking through the weather reports?"

Alex nodded. "Just like you said - electrical storms about two weeks ago. Farmers reporting all sorts of stuff, cows dropping left and right. Crops wiped out. Tornados across the eastern half of the state. And then there was this..." She spun her laptop around. Dean read the story from the Omaha World-Herald. A quadruple murder the day before. A college kid flipped out on his parents and a neighboring couple, killing them all. One person survived, the neighbor's kid. It was a morbidly historical day for the town as a gas station also blew up, killing three more.

"Seven deaths in a day? That's about as common in Nebraska as a skyscraper." Alex spelled it out. "I knew the shooter too. Tom Bello. I went to high school with him. Dated him for a little while."  
"I need a suit," Dean said.  
Alex stared at him blankly. "This is a fine time to be worried about your wardrobe Dean!"  
Dean stood up. "What can I say? These things concern me. Gotta play the part. Do you have a black dress?" Alex's stare grew more intense. "And is there a copy place around here somewhere?"

_Midwest suburbia._

The door opened, and Dean and Alex stood at the threshold. He was in a sharp black suit and she was in a long black dress. She recognized an old friend. "Hey Maria," she said. "Just wanted to stop by to pay our respects."

Maria opened the door and the faux couple entered the wake. Plenty of neighbors were there for Alex to recognize.

"We just need to talk to someone who was there," Dean hissed to her. "Don't keep us stuck here too long." She nodded and sought out the neighbor's son, Todd. They found him outside sitting by himself.

"Todd," Alex snapped to him reality. "I'm so sorry for your loss." She took his hands.  
"Alex, I had no idea you were even in town." Todd said lazily, looking up. "Yeah, my parents, they...went out of town for awhile and asked me to look after the house. I can't believe all this," he motioned to the people, the events, everything. She had more in common with Todd than she cared to share at that moment.  
"Yeah, Tom, he just, he just snapped. My parents were playing Scrabble or something with his parents. All of a sudden I hear these screams. So I ran over and he was slitting their throats. And he was...I don't know, chanting or something."

Alex shot Dean a look.

"Had Tom been acting strange at all before that?" Dean asked. "Not like himself?"  
Todd shook his head no. "It came out of nowhere."  
Another couple stepped in to pay their respects. Dean used it as the excuse to leave. Not too far though. He stopped at the car, popping the trunk to get something out. "Stay here," he ordered Alex.

"What, why?" she asked. He kept her in place with his hand.

He rounded the fence, ducked the caution tape and slid open the back door to the Bellos'. Inside, he took out the EMF reader Bobby had given him and waved it around. Nothing. The living room was a mess of broken furniture and sprayed, dried blood. Then he caught sight of the western wall. A sigil. On the wall. Instinctually he started looking for other clues.

Dean quickly pushed the broken chair and table off the rug and pulled it back. Sure enough he found a Devil's Trap on the floor.

_Not-so-high security lockup._

After some insistence by local resident Alexis Parker, she and Dean were back in street clothes and allowed to visit Tom in his cell. Despite repeated warnings from the Sheriff that he was a dangerous guy, Tom Bello looked more excited to see Alex than she was to see him.

"Alexis!" He said. "Alex, you're alive!"  
"So are you!" Alex said back happily. "Tom, what the hell happened?"  
Tom clammed up when he saw Dean. "Who's the dude?"  
"Oh, this is Dean. He's...he saved my life the other night Tom. He's cool."  
"Listen to me Alex. You're not safe. You have to get as far away from Nebraska as you can."  
"Whoa, everyone cool their wheels," Dean mixed up the saying, as per usual. "We're not going anywhere; you're definitely not going anywhere," he motioned towards Tom. "Let's back up here. What happened yesterday?"  
"There is no time for this. She has to get out of here. Now."  
"Tom," Alex tried again. "I know this is going to sound crazy. But Dean, he's a hunter. A demon hunter. He's here to help. We don't want to run. We want to find the demons that did this to your family."

Tom slid back in his cell and plopped down on the bench, looking down. Then he looked to Dean. "Hunter?" he said. Dean nodded. "Me too. So's my dd." This was the first Alex was hearing of it, the shock clear in her face.

"I got called home from school when the omens started," Tom said. "My Dad had been tracking a group of demons that was roaming the country, killing single targets. There didn't seem to be any kind of relation between the targets. Sometimes multiple people in a family died, sometimes not. No good clues, nothing. It had been a year of it. But he finally figured it out." Tom got back up and approached Dean and Alex, motioning them to lean in. "All the people the demons were killing? Vessels. Angel vessels. Some psychic helped him figure it out. They were killing the last person in the bloodline so that even if the angel could come down they were left with a weaker body. I don't know what the endgame is. My Dad called me back because they were in town. I got home last night.

"They, well I guess you probably already know, I think they were looking for your family, Alex. I went to your parents' place but it was too late. The hellhounds had already gotten them. So I headed back home. The Collins were over. But it wasn't them anymore. It was the demons. And my parents - they'd gotten them too. I tried exorcising them but they'd bound themselves to their hosts. So I did what I had to do."

"Did they tell you anything?" Dean asked.  
"Nothing that made sense. Something about stopping judgment. I have no idea what that means."  
Dean didn't know either.  
"My parents, where did they take their bodies?" Tom asked.  
"At the morgue, I'd assume," Alex said.  
Tom shook his head no and looked to Dean. "You have to burn them."  
Dean nodded. "We'll get them."

_Nighttime on idyllic, quiet, possessed campus, Omaha. __  
_  
Unsure of her bluffing skills, Dean had made Alex wait in the car while he chatted up a local university professor. She was dozing off, exhausted from the day's events and the close air inside the vehicle. She was awakened by rapping on the window. It was a university cop. Alex rolled down the window.

"I'm sorry miss. You shouldn't be here," the cop said.  
"Sorry sir, I'll move the car." Alex replied.  
"No, you shouldn't be here," the cop said again, and Alex found herself faced with a black-eyed demon. It forced the car door open. Alex tried to run even with nowhere to go but ended up right in the demon's arms. She screamed just as Dean exited the building.  
"Alex!" He ran towards the car but his path was blocked by a demon.  
"Any closer and the girl gets ganked right here. You want to see her alive again? 47 Leavenworth. Two hours," the demon said.

And with that the demons vanished, taking Alex with them. Dean slammed his fist against the car. "Sonofabitch!" Dean's phone rang. Not the one Bobby gave him. The newer flip. What now? He grabbed it out of the glove compartment.

"Yeah what?" He raged into it.  
"Dean?" A familiar voice. Dean snapped to attention.  
"Cas? Cas, is that you?"  
"Yes, Dean. I can't hold this connection very long. Where are you?"  
"Omaha. Nebraska."  
"When are you?"  
"I don't know man, 2005 apparently. Where the heck are you?"  
"I'm not sure where I am. 2005..." Dean heard static. "Cas, don't lose me!"

"Listen, I found Chuck. He told me to find this girl, Alexis. I guess she's some kind of vessel. Who is she, Cas? Chuck said something about her being a game-changer. Can she bring Sam back?"  
"...angel of...amulet is the key...can't find you without..."

Dean's face twisted into anger. He was tempted to throw the phone but knew it was his only connection to Castiel for the moment.  
"You're breaking up. I can't hear a damn word. Look, I'll keep the phone with me. Find me as soon as you can, Cas. I'm getting the girl and we're heading for Bobby's."  
"...Dean...don't go back to Bobby's."  
"What? Cas? Why the heck not?"  
"..." And then the connection dropped.  
Dean flipped it shut. So Castiel was alive. And Sam too, maybe. Something bad at Bobby's. Something about his amulet. He clearly had to get it back. First thing was first though.

_Masonic Manor. Omaha. 47 Leavenworth._

Dean parked a block away. He popped the trunk and armed himself. Gun? Check. Knife? Double-check. All that was missing was a brother hunter. Sam wasn't much for the hand-to-hand combat but Dean could have used his brother's help just then. Or his dad's. No sense pouting about it though, so Dean grabbed the rest of what he needed and made his way towards the temple.

The door was of course open. Dean made his way down the hallway until he spotted an open meeting room door. One door was open. He peeked around the end of the closed one and saw Alex passed out in the head Mason's chair. She was roped in with a gag on. Behind her the altar had several candles lit and the wall was covered with three scary looking Mason portraits. He didn't see any demons but he knew they were around - possibly one in her.

He went into the room anyway. The door slammed shut behind him. The sound awakened Alex, who shook her head at Dean and tried to speak through muffles. Dean looked around. "Come on, you sons of bitches, let's get this show on the road already!"

"Whenever it's convenient for you, Dean," said a voice behind Dean. The cop.  
Dean wheeled around.

"I can't believe my luck!" The demon continued. "I come to this little farm town looking for one vessel, and I end up landing two! And not just any two...two of the most powerful angel vessels, neutered before their time." The demon chuckled. "This could not have worked out any better if Lucifer had planned it himself."

Two more demons stepped out of the shadows, blocking Dean's path to Alex.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Dean lied.  
"Oh, sure, sure," the demon shush shushed him, "Events are unfolding differently this time, Dean. Isn't it funny? You thought you were coming back here for a chance to stop it before it started. But the truth is it will always start, and it will always start with you. Why prolong the inevitable? We can just get this all over with now."  
"So, you know who I am," Dean retorted, "but I don't think I've had the pleasure."  
A smirk in return. "They call me Ipos. But it's not me you should be worried about. It's who I serve."

Not a name Dean knew but he had enough information for now. He took a swing with his knife. Ipos ducked back and one of the other demons charged towards the hunter. Dean quickly twisted the knife around and stabbed the demon in the gut, twisting the knife for good effect. Dean yanked it out as the demon staggered back. The third demon was racing up so Dean grabbed his gun.

Ipos had used the time to get back up to Alex, who was struggling to break free. "Two great options here but I think we'll start with you," he said, slipping his own knife out from below his uniform. "Say hello to Semiazas for me when you get to hell."

The ground shook and Dean watched a white light appear over Ipos and Alex. He had seen this before. "Alex - close your eyes!" He yelled, and she did. Dean quickly stabbed the third demon and then fled behind the back altar to shield himself.

From within her skull light projected out Alex's eyes and they flew back open in a blaze of blinding light. "I serve no demon!" She cried.

Dean heard it, and with hand in front of his face for protection saw what looked like an angel waking from within Alex.

Ipos, alarmed by this development, fled his meatsuit. With the threat gone the light dissipated and Alex once again fainted back in the chair.

Dean checked around to see if Ipos' smoke remained but he was long gone. He ran up to Alex and tried to wake her, gently and then finally with a light slap to the face. Nothing. He untied her and slung her over his shoulder. Was this girl like Anna - an angel all along?

The fire burned brightly with 4 bodies in it. Dean had already taken care of Alex's parents yet here they were sending two more couples off. It was disturbing to say the least. Alex didn't remember anything that had happened since being kidnapped. Or so she told Dean - his gut found it suspicious. When he filled her in she looked genuinely surprised though, so he eased back. It didn't matter that much. Conscious player or newbie to it all, Dean's plan was unchanged. Get the girl back in full angel form so she could reunite him with his brother and Castiel.

"What now?" Alex asked sadly, nursing a deep cut on her arm from the demon.  
"I need to get something back that I lost," Dean said. "An amulet."  
"When did you lose it?"  
"A few years from now. But in this time I still have it. So I all I have to do is find me."  
"Your memory is that good?"  
"No. But I know someone who can find me..."

Dean walked away from the pyre and towards the car. Alex watched it burn for a few more seconds, the flames lighting up her eyes. Then she too turned and walked for the car. They both got in. Dean turned it on and they headed out of town.


	4. Sidewinder

**Sidewinder.**

_Lawrence, Kansas._

Mary Winchester heard Baby Sam crying so she instinctually went into the nursery to check on him. Leaning over the crib, she noticed an odd dark spot near Sam's mouth - was that blood? She went to wipe it off when she caught a silhouette out of the side of her eye. Mary spun around and was met with an intense pair of yellow eyes. Suddenly she felt herself thrashed back against the wall.

Adult Sam stepped out of the opposite shadows. "Not this time Azazel," he said. The demon stepped out of the shadows to attack but Sam put his hand up. The demon doubled over, coughing out bits of black smoke. Sam concentrated. Brows furrowed with sweat forming. The effort needed was tremendous but his concentration never wavered. Not as the pain throbbed up his arm and into his heart. Not as his nose started dripping blood. Not as his own eyes flipped beetle black.

Sam expelled the demon from its host and watched as it sank through the floorboards and back down to hell. Satisfied with his work, Sam turned to his mother. She smiled nervously, still backed against the wall. Sam did not smile back.

"This time," he said. "I'll take care of her myself." Hand back up. A scream.

Sam snapped awake in a cold sweat. Nononononono, he thought. An adult temper tantrum as he tried to banish the thoughts - vision? - from his head. The nightmares were getting worse. The sun was barely up but Sam would not be going back to bed. Just as he would not be going back to the demon blood. He hadn't seen any demons since Joey was possessed the week before but he was sure they were watching. He was in danger but at least he knew it. His family had no idea. There had to be another way to stop the demon. Sam knew of one.

_Happy house of Winchester._

Later that same day, the Winchester family was eating dinner. John sat at the head of the table while Mary sat across from him, feeding baby Sam a bottle. Young Dean was between them pushing his vegetables out of the way in favor of the steak and mashed potatoes. And across from Dean sat Sam - the adult version - trying to enjoy this odd family dinner. He'd turned down their invite for a week, afraid of creating a paradox. But while Sam couldn't stop staring at his baby self the youngin barely paid attention to anything besides his bottle, his parents, and his diaper. Convinced a wormhole wasn't tearing a hole through the universe, Sam relaxed.

The headaches had started two days before. Sam knew the visions were coming if they hadn't started already. Azazel was getting closer while Sam was still piecing things together. After the demon within Joey had visited him Sam was struggling with how to proceed. His desire to rid the world of the yellow-eyed demon burned strong as ever. His fear of what might come after added an element of hesitation. Sam needed to talk to someone. A hunter. Unfortunately he had no idea where hunters congregated in 1983. Fortunately he knew someone who would know.

After dinner Sam and John sat out on the porch with little Dean while Mary put baby Sam to sleep. Sam found it as uncomfortable as ever to talk to his Dad, especially now with a giant lie between them. John tried talking baseball with Sam. The Royals were in 2nd place in the AL West behind the efforts of Paul Splittorff. Sam wasn't interested. He steered the conversation back towards John - where he'd grown up, what he did before meeting Mary, what it was like having kids, etc. John wove the tale of his plans to take his sons on a road trip as soon as they were old enough. He had no idea how true that would become.

Eventually Dean's eyes grew heavy and it was John's turn to put a child to bed. He left Mary and Sam outside while he took his oldest son upstairs. It was the moment Sam had been waiting for. He took a moment to compose himself. His leg compulsively shook. His face twisted. Sam tried to make himself relax.

"Mo...Mary," Sam began. "I met your Dad once." Lie. "It was on a hunt actually." Lie. "A, um, ghost hunt."

Mary's eyes grew wide.

"I decided to give all that up a long time ago. But my brother, he kept going on without me. I haven't seen him in years. I'd like to find him again. Do you...know of any hunter gathering places around here? Anywhere I might be able to ask someone?"  
"Don't you dare say a word about this to John," Mary shot back.  
"Nononono," Sam insisted. "I wouldn't. I just thought maybe you could help."  
Mary pursed her lips and considered things for a moment. "Olathe. There's a hotel there called the Rattlesnake with a bar called Sidewinders. And those are the people that go there. Haven't been myself in years but Daddy used to hear about jobs there."

_Olathe, Kansas._

Sam had used his wages from the shop so far to buy a truck off John. It was an International, blue, with a short bed and a loud muffler. It fit right in as he pulled up to the hotel. Two gentlemen in jeans, Carhartts and baseball caps watched Sam's every move as he exited the truck. He felt himself being watched and nodded in their general direction. They gave him the hairy eyeball in return. He skipped the main lobby and went right into the bar where he was met with more staredowns. Unable to choose a pair of eyes to meet, Sam headed to the safety of the bar.

The bartender sauntered over. Sam ordered a beer and tried to push away all the negative vibes that were swarming him and causing his shoulders to hunch. When the bartender came back Sam struck up a conversation.

"I hear this is a place with people who know things," Sam said, laying down a $50 as his tip. The bartender sniffed and palmed the bill.  
"Yeah, we know some things here," the bartender said. "But we're a real tight-knit community, you know? And I've never seen you."  
"I'm kinda new to the game," Sam lied. "I've been chasing after something for awhile though and a hunter told me you might be able to help." Sam leaned in, hoping that mentioning a hunter generically would suffice.  
The bartender leaned in too. He sensed the bullshit. "Who?"  
Sam gulped. Here goes nothing. "Bill Harvelle."

The bartender leaned back, sizing up Sam for a few moments. Then his face eased up. "Really? How is old Bill doing?"  
Sam relaxed. He probably owed his life to a man he'd never met and two sassy women (one of whom was not yet born). "Good, you know. Good old Bill!"  
"Alright, what have you been chasing?"  
"A demon with yellow eyes," Sam said. "I think I have its location squared away but this guy isn't easy to take out. I've heard stories that there's a gun that should do the trick. Trouble is no one knows where it is..."  
Sam took out a picture of the Colt hand-drawn from memory. That would be of course Samuel Colt's own handmade gun. The one that opened the gate to hell in Wyoming when Jake put the key in. The one that Sam used to shoot Azazel; far too late though. This was his opportunity to start it all before it began.  
"That gun?" The bartender sussed. "Never seen it. Never heard of it either." Sam sensed a lie but wasn't about to make an enemy. He leaned back and took a sip of beer. The bartender moved on down the line and Sam scratched his head, annoyed.  
"I've seen that gun," Sam heard to his left. He looked over to an older man wearing a plaid overcoat, long greasy hair practically covering his eyes and a goatee that hadn't been trimmed in months.  
"You have? Do you know where it is?" Sam asked intently. The man nodded.  
"Yeah, but you're gonna have a really hard time getting to it," the hunter said. "Name's Joe. Joe Brown." They shook hands and Sam introduced himself, real name this time. "About 10 months ago a hunter got a hold of the Colt after taking care of some vengeful spirits out in Iowa. They seemed to want it real bad so he wanted to keep it away from them all. Didn't know what it was for, didn't know what it could do."  
"Come on, Dad, quit boring the guy with your old tall tales," said a younger man to Joe's left.  
"And this here is my son, David." The young men nodded to each other.  
Sam waited expectantly. "So, where is it now?"  
"In Dubuque. Buried in a safe bout 20 feet below the ground. The thing's completely booby-trapped too."  
Sam's face fell. He shook his head. These things were never easy, were they? "Maybe I could talk to the hunter. Where is he?"  
"No one's seen the guy in over a month." Joe said. Sam nodded ruefully. Of course.  
"So how do you know about the place?" Sam asked.  
Joe smiled and got a little twinkle in his eye. "Cause I helped him hide the damn thing."  
"Really?" Sam said.  
"You're not the first one to ask about it either. Second one this week in fact."  
"Really." Sam said again, face falling even further. The Browns shot each other a look.  
"What is so special about that gun anyway?" David asked.  
"They say it can kill demons in one shot," Sam explained. "And I'm hunting one powerful demon. Who else was asking about it?"  
"Some lady. Looked about your age. That was what, about two weeks ago? Three?" Joe asked his son. David nodded. Three weeks would have been right before Sam arrived. He wondered who the lady was. Didn't seem like these hunters knew her.  
"Well, don't twist our legs too hard!" said Joe after a minute of silence. He slapped Sam on the back. "We'll help you out son."  
"Great," Sam said as he came back to reality, surprised. "Great!"

The Browns started introducing Sam around to the rest of the hunters. A little while later Sam was done making small talk. He was eager to get on the road. He agreed to follow the Browns to Dubuque since they'd go their own separate ways after. He headed out to the parking lot but noticed something wrong with his truck. The tires - both ride sides had been slashed.  
"Oh come on!" Sam said, kicking one.  
"Sorry boy, we weren't sure who you were," one of the hunters called out to him. "There's a gas station right up the road, we'll get you fixed first thing in the morning."

Whether he liked it or not Sam was spending the night at the Rattlesnake Inn.

_Dubuque, Iowa._

Delayed until daybreak, Sam and the Browns hit the road as soon as they could. They drove along Route 20 towards Dubuque until they hit the road Joe had written down for him - North Cascade Road. They passed by several farms until he saw the right one. It had a yellow farm house, and to the East set back about 200 yards was a blue barn with a yellow roof, save two black metal sheets. Sam followed the Browns as they drove down the gravel path to the barn.  
Sam parked next to the Browns. Joe didn't look happy when he got out of his truck. "Something ain't right," he said. The three men trotted up to the barn. The metal padlock had been broken off and the door had been slid open at one point. David motioned for them to go to the side door.

Once inside Joe flipped a switch. Three overhead lights buzzed to life. Sam noticed plenty of sharp objects lining the walls, from sickles to mower blades to a chainsaw.

For a moment Sam channeled Dean, and popped out a gem: "Good thing these guys keep all their sharp objects in one place!"

Both Browns turned back to give him a dirty look. Sam fake laughed and clapped his hands together. And then he clammed up. And then the smell hit him. None too pleasant. He noticed a dark stain along the concrete floor of the barn - blood. He moved towards it to see if it was recent but David grabbed him from behind just in time to keep him from stepping on a tripwire. Sam followed the wire and saw it was attached to a jimmy keeping a blade from swinging down, Indiana Jones style.

"Thanks," Sam said quietly.

Sam took a few more steps forward and saw where the blood trail began - a dead male who'd been shot in the back, propped up against the barn wall. Sam instantly feared they were bullets from the Colt. He checked the body. Hard to tell if it was a case of bad luck or someone taking out something evil. The three live men made it to the Colt's location. They stood just outside a Devil's Trap and in the center sat an iron-tipped shovel. Someone had already dug up the safe and pulled out the case with the Colt. Sam feared it was already gone. Only one way to know for sure. The Browns looked at Sam expectantly. Their lack of movement set off his suspicions.

"Go ahead son," Joe said, motioning to the shovel. Sam side-eyed them.

There was a minute of inaction as father and son stared down tall mop top. Sam walked towards the case. He went to touch it when he felt instant sharp heat against his flesh. He pulled back in pain.

"The case - it's burning hot!"  
Father and son exchanged looks. "It's a hex," said Joe. "Keeps out demons. Humans don't feel a thing but poor possessed bastards..." Joe trailed off.  
And then all three simultaneously pulled out guns and started yelling at each other.  
"He's a demon!"  
"Shoot him!"  
"I knew this was a bad idea!"

Sam nervously tipped his gun back and forth between Joe and David, while the Browns kept theirs squarely fixed on him.

"I am not a demon!" Sam said. His mind raced - was it the demon blood still in him?  
"Just step away from the case," David said solemnly.

Sam panicked. He hadn't been sent all the way back just to lose his one opportunity to take out Azazel. That meant the Colt. That meant whatever it took. He looked to the case. He looked to the Browns. He plotted. But common sense won out and he took a few steps back. Joe crept up slowly and went to take the case. But like Sam a minute before he jumped back in pain. Sam and David gave each other looks of confusion.

"What the...someone strengthened the hex. Look around for a bag."  
Sam and David split up as Joe checked around the case. Sam stepped over another dead body while David checked the perimeter. Nothing. Then Sam saw it.  
"I got it!" He called.  
"Good, set the damn thing on fire," Joe said.

Sam pulled a lighter out of his pocket and sent the hex bag up in flames. As he did, a circle of fire appeared around Joe and the case as David and Sam looked on in shock. They heard cracking as the Devil's Trap above began to break.

Their eyes only grew wider when one of the formerly dead men lying across the ground got up and ran up behind Joe. With one quick movement the demon stabbed Joe in the back and grabbed the case. Sam went to pursue but the dead man he'd crossed jumped up to block the path. Sam raised his gun and pumped the demon full of rock salt buck shots as David, across the room to his Dad, who'd fallen in a heap on the floor. David took a knife out of his jacket and went to stab but a force from out of sight yanked him back and down onto the ground. Sam tussled with the salted demon while David struggled to stand. A demon approached David and pushed him back telekinetically towards the sharply appointed wall. David's heels left drag marks in the ground as he slid backwards.

Just as he was about to become a human pincushion David grabbed the demon, wheeled it around and pressed it into the metal instead. The demon cried out as it hit a mixture of elements and then it's face lit up as the demon inside died, taking the unfortunate host with it. David saw another demon approaching and charged into the shadows to meet it. Sam, meanwhile, had grabbed the iron shovel and pummeled the demon that was attacking him. He grabbed his knife and was about to finish the job when he felt himself fly across the room backwards. He dropped his knife on the way. Sam landed on his back and a bit woozy. Even through the haze he could see the yellow eyes before they emerged from the shadows.

"Howdy, Sam. You almost make this too easy," Azazel said, stepping into the dull light about 15 feet away from Sam. He had taken over David's body. "It almost takes the fun out of it."

Joe charged but Azazel flipped him back. "Do you want to end up as a wall ornament? Because I could arrange it." He turned his attention back to Sam, walking towards him. "I knew I was coming for Sam Winchester but no one told me I'd get two for the price of one." He leaned over Sam and lowered his voice. "My, what big...everything you have for a 6-month old."

"I killed you once," Sam said through grit teeth. "And I will do it as many times as I need to."

Azazel laughed. "Funny about these things," the demon said. "The path varies from time to time but the end destination? Always the same. We may have faced off before - maybe times I remember and you don't, maybe the other way around. It doesn't matter Sam. Your Mom always dies. Your Dad always dies. You and your brother die and come back and die and come back and die and come back some more. You're in an endless loop until one of you breaks the cycle but you're too stupid to do it. There's only one way out of this tailspin. Let Lucifer in and bring on the end. No traps. No games. As long as you and your brother keep fighting it we'll keep doing this over and over til one of us gets it right."

Sam searched the ground for a weapon but didn't see anything. Azazel balled his hand into a fist and twisted. The pain immediately shot through Sam and he cried out in pain. "You're useless to me like this, Sam. I should put you out of your misery right now. But you always were my favorite. I'm still rooting for you even after everything you've done so, so wrong." The demon stopped as he felt heat at his back. He turned a bit to see Joe holding up the Colt aiming straight for him. The man was propped against a stack of hay bales for support. The demon opened his arms and turn to face the father fully.

"Go ahead, shoot me," Azazel said in David's voice. "You can't win them all!"

Joe cocked the gun but knew he couldn't shoot his own son. But it bought Sam enough time to grab his own gun and get a couple of rounds of rock salt into the yellow-eyed monster. Azazel doubled over and Sam forced himself up. He stumbled towards Joe to get the Colt. He grabbed it from the older man's hands as Joe pleaded, "Don't you do it."

Sam turned to face the demon, who smiled and said, "It's OK. I've got somewhere else to be anyway." David's head flew back and the demon evacuated into a cloud of grey smoke. Sam stewed for a moment, and then helped Joe to his feet. David collapsed in a heap for a moment before stirring.

"We have to get your Dad to a hospital," Sam said. The boy nodded and stood up to help.

_Lawrence, Kansas._

Sam was staring blindly at the Colt. His body was there but his mind was millions of miles away. He wondered if the demon was telling the truth. He wondered if The End was the only way out...obviously his plan hadn't worked or he wouldn't be here. He wondered how his life would be different if his Mom didn't die. Azazel's words galvanized his desire to find out. Sam knew that he and Dean had failed the other two times they'd tried to play with time like this. Was the third time the charm?

He heard a strange sound. Like bells. It snapped him back to reality. After a moment he realized his cell phone was ringing. He slowly walked over, wide-eyed. No reception but it was ringing. Unknown call. Nervously he picked it up.

"Hello?"  
"Sam." Said Castiel.  
"Cas? Cas! Is Dean with you?"  
"I was hoping he'd be with you," Cas replied. "Sam, Dean was shot back in time."  
"Yeah, me too. I'm back home in 1983 - where is he?" Sam pulled the phone away as static took over.  
"Sam, I don't have much time. Listen to me. We need to arrange to meet."  
Sam didn't reply.  
"Sam? Are you still with me?"  
"I'm not going back," Sam said softly. "Not yet."  
"This is a trick, Sam," Castiel said. "You can't change destiny. Any effect you have on the natural order of time could have huge repercussions..." The line was overpowered with static for a moment. "...you don't get second chances with fate."  
"I don't care how it happened or who sent me here, Cas. I have a chance to save my family. And I'm not going to walk away from it."  
"Sam..." Sam hung up the phone. It started ringing again. Sam unplugged it from the wall and removed the battery.  
"Sorry, Cas," Sam said in a determined tone. "Team Free Will rides again."

The next morning at work, a familiar car was held in the air by the hydraulic lift at Woodson's garage. Sam couldn't help but smile as he approached the Impala. If he didn't know better he'd swear the car was smiling back at him as John worked on the brakes underneath.

"Don't try to steal her this time Sammy," John joked as he saw his coworker approaching.  
"Nah, she belongs in the Winchester family," Sam replied, tracing the slight fin from the front quarter panel back along the driver's side door. "Need some help?"  
"Just about done here actually," John said. "But if you want to help me wax her, I'd be inclined to share some of that beer in the fridge with you."

"Done," Sam agreed. He grabbed a fresh rag as John set the Impala down gently. He tossed a second one over to his didn't-know-it Dad, and grabbed the wax. John hopped in the driver's side and rolled the outside into the gravel. He hopped back out, grabbed the hose and began washing the car. As he finished a section Sam followed after with the hose to clean the soap off. The sun shone brightly on the pair and the black car dried quickly. After the car dried John backed it into the shade and they got to work. John checked to make sure Sam had the right technique down. Sam had of course learned from Dean who'd in turn learned from John. The technique was right.

Sam started working the wax over the trunk. His mind wandered as muscle memory took over. He wondered where - or when - Dean was. He wondered if he was in the same dilemma, trying to weigh the risk and reward of interfering. Sam had always been the more fatalistic of the pair. What would Dean do? And would Sam let himself try the same thing?

_Middle of nowhere, Nebraska._

Dean was absently waxing his current ride, contemplating similar dilemmas as Sam. He and Alex were parked on a highway rest stop as Dean tried to figure out their next move. Truth was he was nervous about heading out to California. Any previous attempts to change the course of their family history had crashed and burned. And though that wasn't really his goal anyway he worried about getting too close. Alex was sitting a short ways off at one of the rest area's picnic tables. She had her laptop open and was trying to research Ipos. Many of the websites Dean suggested hitting either didn't exist or were far from complete. She was antsy.

"Dean?" She asked, turning to him.  
"Almost done," he said.  
Alex walked over. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were stalling."  
Dean stopped waxing momentarily. "Just thinking."  
"What are we waiting for exactly?" She tried again.  
"There's a bar not too far from here where hunters meet up. I want to see if anyone knows about this demon that wants to take you on a date to Hell." Dean couldn't help smirking at the last part.  
"Cute," Alex snarked in return. "What about heading west?"  
"You sure you don't remember anything?" Dean asked, changing the subject. "No family disappearances? No crazy aunt or uncle walking around saying they could talk to angels before? Nothing?"  
Alex searched her memories. "Nothing," she confirmed, shaking her head.  
Dean was done waxing the car. He polished the last bit in with the cloth, then stood back to admire his work.

After a moment, Alex tried one last time. "Anything you want to tell me Dean?" She asked, not letting the subject drop. "Like, what's out west exactly?"  
"Nothing good," Dean said from behind the open trunk.  
"That's specific," Alex sighed. Dean slammed the trunk closed.  
"You got a demon chasing you right now? Try this: I had one chasing my family and I didn't even know it. Thought we were chasing it. You wanna know what's out west? Ground zero. And I can't do a damn thing about it. I tried - I tried over and over to save my family from that fate and it never worked. I'm not stalling but I don't have any desire to be anywhere near what's going to happen. Seems like you're the special little snowflake that might change things. So I'm not exactly raring to bring you anywhere near that either." Dean unloaded.  
Alex digested. "OK," she said softly after a moment. "Well, glad I ripped that one out of you before it reached the boiling point. Keeping me safe...done a good job so far. So, we go to this hunter bar?"  
Dean had been expecting a fight in return. He was relieved by Alex's relief. "Yeah," he replied. "Harvelle's."  
Alex nodded and got in the car. Dean slipped into the driver's side. The Chevelle roared to life and headed towards their next destination.

_We're not in Kansas anymore - oh wait, we still are._

Sam was awoken by loud rapping at the door. He groggily got out of bed. He stashed the Colt in the top drawer of his dresser and made his way downstairs to the door. "Coming!" He called.  
An earthquake rumbled as he pounded down the stairs. He wheeled the door open and was met with a man not much older than him and a scared-looking woman.  
"Are you the ghost hunter?" The man asked.  
Sam rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, I guess."  
The man nodded solemnly as the woman prodded him to continue. "My wife and I, we just bought this house about two towns over. And we're not getting one lick of sleep because every night there's this damn ghost roaming the hallway. Think you could help us out?"  
Sam tried not to look too amused as he broke out his Super Special Puppy Dog Eyes for good effect. "Look, I don't know what you've heard but I..." He was cut off when the woman took his hand.  
"Please, Mr. Hagar. We don't have anywhere else to turn."  
Sam sighed. "I'll swing by tonight. Leave your address." He handed them a pad and then went back inside.

A little while later Sam was headed to Woodson's. He noticed a small crowd gathered outside the lot. They started whispering as he approached. Making his way through the crowd, he tried to ignore them. John Winchester was waiting inside and he looked amused.  
"That's quite the cult following you got there Sammy," he said with a smile.  
Sam returned the gesture weakly. John actually meant Colt following, he just didn't know it.  
"I guess word travels fast around here," Sam said sheepishly.  
John nodded. "Small towns, kid. Ain't much else to talk about."  
"I didn't mean to start trouble," Sam said. John laughed.  
"No big deal. All just a bunch of stories and hijinks anyway, right?"  
"Right," Sam lied. The night before Joey had been watching Dean and a friend. The boys had made their way up to Sam's apartment and found the Colt. Sam found them before anyone got hurt. But Dean wouldn't give the gun back. Sam had to negotiate. Dean wanted to know what it was for. In a moment of weakness Sam had told the kids it was a gun to kill ghosts. And now the whole town thought Sam was a ghost hunter. Which he was. At one time. He was way beyond that now. After the incident he looked the gun in an old lockbox and hid it under the floor in his apartment. The damage was already done though.

It was a Saturday. The Saturday before Sam would turn 6 months old. He felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. He still hadn't decided what the best plan was. He wanted to get his family far away from Lawrence. Sam was afraid that no matter where they went the demon would find them. According to the papers a big storm was headed their way from the east. Which never happened. Not naturally anyway. Sam was beginning to wonder if anything could protect them. His phone been three days dead. Sam was recharging it. He didn't know if Castiel would call again and if not how would he find Sam?

Saturday was a short workday so Sam headed down to the University of Kansas library. He returned his books on time travel. Then he headed to the religious studies section. He grabbed every book on angels and demons he could carry and claimed one of the study tables. And then he read. He read and he read and he read about angels. He read about how they appeared, how they traveled, how they lived. Each time a book got it mostly right Sam tried to find out where angels convened. No book seemed to have information on it though and Sam had no clue what that meant.

After a few frustrating hours Sam gave up. He was getting nowhere and it was nearly time to meet up with the couple from earlier in the day. He left the library. He was walking back to his truck. He was unlocking the door when he sensed someone beside him. He looked up and found himself face to face with Castiel.  
"Cas...?" Sam said apprehensively. Castiel didn't look overly happy to see him.  
"Sam." The angel said in response.  
"How did you find me?"  
"I asked your parents," Castiel responded. "And then I looked for the tallest person at the library."  
Sam festered.  
"It's time to go, Sam."  
"No, wait, why did you send me here in the first place?" Sam demanded.  
"I didn't do this," Castiel insisted.  
Sam paused, confused. "Then who did?"  
"I don't know for certain. I do know that your brother is 22 years ahead of all this and he's about to get himself killed. I hear you have the Colt?"  
"Yeah, but Cas...I'm not going anywhere." Sam drew himself up to full height, towering over the angel. Cas looked up, confused.  
"Sam, your attachment to your hometown confuses me."  
"It's not the town. It's my parents! I want to stop the yellow-eyed demon."  
"You've already stopped him, Sam."  
"You know what I mean Cas! I have a chance to stop things before they even begin. Maybe even give me and Dean a shot at a normal life!"  
Castiel frowned. "Destiny will find a way, Sam. You stop them next week, the demons find a way a month later. The self-sacrificing is meaningless."  
"Sounds like the old you," Sam said, turning away. "Guess you gave up on beating destiny. But I haven't. I'm staying."  
Castiel got up in Sam's face. Or as close as he could get anyway. "To what end? You stay here in Lawrence for the rest of your life fending off demons that come after you and your family? What happens when the Apocalypse comes on anyway only for you to have no one to help you fend off Lucifer?"  
"Maybe if I stop this, Dad doesn't start hunting. Dean doesn't either. They don't die, no seals break and the Apocalypse never happens," Sam tried.  
"You and I both know that these demons will not stop. You have to stop them Sam. With Dean. And that means things to have to unfold as they always have."  
"Things have already changed," Sam admitted.  
A look of concern spread across Castiel's face. "What do you mean?" Castiel asked.  
"Some demon - not Azazel - tried to recruit me a week or two ago. It knew exactly who I was. And it didn't seem surprised to see me here."  
Castiel's head sank backwards as the news hit him. "You risk unleashing Hell now by staying, Sam. If demons know you are here then Lucifer does too. They will not leave you alone. They will keep sending bigger and badder demons until one of them reels you in."  
Sam turned away. He paced a few steps, trying to decide what the best outcome was. "I need to warn them, Cas."  
Castiel exhaled. It was pointless to try any further. He agreed to give Sam two more days. And then he left.


	5. Decisions, Decisions

**Decisions, Decisions.**

_Only bar for 100 miles, Nebraska._

The Chevelle leaned into the dusty sand lot for Harvelle's. Two doors opened and slammed shut as Dean and Alex exited. He cautioned her to stay in line behind him.

"Like I said, these are friends," said Dean. "Just...they don't know it yet. Stay close. Lots of hunters in there." Alex nodded.

They entered the bar and several people turned to judge them. Dean stared ahead stone-faced as Alex glanced around. It didn't look out of the ordinary to her so she settled down quickly. Convinced they weren't anything to be worried about the stares turned elsewhere. Dean moseyed up to the bar with Alex in tow. He saw Ellen right away and though he wasn't one to get choked up a little something caught in his throat. It was good to see her alive. Dean made a mental note to keep it that way this time. He didn't see Jo. Probably still at school.

"Ellen," he said to her, nodding.  
She looked back at him blankly. "Do I know you?"

Dean gathered up all of his confidence for the next part. He knew Ellen was not a woman to be messed with.

"Uh, no, but my Dad does. John Winchester." Ellen raised an eyebrow at this reveal. "He sent me this way. I'm helping this one" - he motioned back to Alex - "track down a couple of demons." Alex gave a tentative smile as Dean continued. "Just needed to get off the road for a little bit."

Ellen was toweling down the bar. She digested Dean's story slowly. Dean's heart rate increased with every moment in silence.

"John Winchester, huh? Suppose that would make you Dean. I haven't talked to him in months now, but..." Ellen paused as if going against her better judgment. "What'll ya have?"

Dean ordered for them both and heaved a sigh of relief as Ellen walked off to fetch their beers. They claimed bar stools and Dean started looking around for Ash. Ellen dropped off their beers and started up some motivated small talk.

"So Dean, what brings you to our neck of the woods." Dean wheeled back around to face Ellen.  
"A few days ago I caught the trail of this pack of demons that's tracking west," Dean began. He was not eager to get into angel chatter, so instead he talked around it. "Have you heard any talk about one named Ipos?"  
Ellen shook her head. "Sorry," she said. "Hunters don't usually wait around for formal introductions."  
"Yeah," Dean agreed, taking a swig of beer. "Seen any strange omen patterns around lately?"  
"As a matter of fact we have. But you'll need to talk to Ash about that," Ellen said.  
"Where is he, anyway?" Dean asked.  
"Oh, you know him?" Ellen asked suspiciously.  
"I've heard," Dean replied. Ellen eyed Dean for a moment. He tried to give his best version of Sam's Puppy Dog Eyes of Compliance. It seemed to work as Ellen offered to get Ash. A few minutes later she came back with the mulleted genius.

Dean gave Alex instructions and then set off to talk to Ash. Ellen returned behind the bar.  
"You traveling with Dean?" Ellen asked.  
"Yeah," Alex said.  
"You been with him long?"  
"Not really. I just kind of fell into this whole thing." Alex laughed, and Ellen nodded in understanding. There was a brief pause and then Alex launched into her task. "So, do you know Bobby Singer?"  
"Sure I know Bobby. One of the smartest hunters around."  
"We were headed up that way and we crossed paths with a hunter who told us to turn back. Is everything OK with him?"  
Ellen frowned. "I just talked to him yesterday so I sure hope so."  
"Well, I think we're gonna head back up that way. I'll have Dean let you know how it goes."

Dean and Ash came over together. "Ash said the coast is clear in South Dakota," Dean said. "And everything looks fine for now in California. But there's a whole mess heading towards Colorado and Wyoming."  
"Wyoming?" Ellen said. She grabbed a folder from below the back counter. "If you are heading up there you should take a look into this."  
"I don't know that we'll have time to..." Dean started to say but Alex elbowed him. She took the folder from Ellen.  
"What happened?" Alex asked.  
"About a week ago a guy disappeared up near Cheyenne. His wife says he went camping with a friend out near Glendo. Then three days ago the friend stumbles back into town torn up something awful and says his friend was kidnapped. Meanwhile about two towns over another couple had been slaughtered in their sleep. Hardly anything left of them."

Alex showed Dean the article from the _Cheyenne Tribune-Eagle_. Dean scanned down to where Alex's finger was pointing. The couple appeared to have been killed by a wild animal.  
"Sound familiar?" She asked Dean.  
He nodded in return and agreed to look into it. And with everything he needed now lined up Dean was ready to go. They all said their goodbyes.

_Cheyenne, Wyoming._

It was midday but the sky was dark. Dean and Alex had been driving through non-stop thunderstorms and had chosen Wyoming over Colorado to avoid tornados. They had been listening to classic rock but as they lost the station Alex was fiddling with the tuner, trying to lock in on another one.

"Another 10 died last night in Eastern Colorado after three tornados touched down outside of Sterling," the radio announcer said. Dean reached over and snapped the radio off.  
"You think this is the same pack of demons?" He asked Alex.  
"You're the expert, but, yeah." She replied.

Dean noticed that Alex seemed distracted. She hadn't said much on the drive and seemed to be staring off into space. Dean hadn't thought about it too hard but the whole situation was probably nerve-racking to her. He had been so far from normal for so long that he forgot how strange his life was. He was accustomed to it. She was not.

Dean started talking to Alex but noticed she didn't respond. She was a million miles away. He tapped her on the arm. She popped back into the moment and spun to face him.

"I know this whole deal must seem rotten to you," Dean said. "I'm going to help you though. I won't let you down. I'll help you clean up whatever mess this is before I go." He tried to reassure her. Alex smiled in return.  
"Thanks, Dean," she said. And meant it.

She took a breath as though she had to more to say. Instead she just exhaled and looked back out the window. Dean stared at her for a moment before shifting his focus back to the road ahead.

_Cold, cold storage. __  
_  
Dean, for now known as Agent Dennis DeYoung of the US Department of the Interior, entered the morgue dressed in his best suit. His only suit. He asked to see the bodies of Gerald and Nancy Hobart, the couple who'd been killed in their sleep by a "wild animal" a few days earlier. The chief medical examiner brought him back to the cages, opened two metal doors and pulled the bodies out.

"Must have been one angry bear," the doctor noted before leaving the room.  
Dean pulled down the sheet to look at Mr. Hobart first. He winced as the body was revealed. Deep scratches covered what was left his chest and arms. Part of his ribs were exposed and Dean could see the man's intestines starting to leak out a bit. It was gruesome. It was almost certainly not a bear.

He turned his attention to Nancy. She had a similar look to her but Dean noted that there was an additional trail of burns down her arm. Like acidic drool...or sulfur. He looked at the autopsy notes. Sure enough traces of sulfur had been found on both bodies. That confirmed it.

Dean headed back out to the car, loosening his tie.  
"Did you find what you were looking for?" Alex asked as he got in. She was holding a hex bag Dean had given her to throw any nearby demons off their scent.  
"Just the bad news I was hoping for," Dean confirmed. "Hellhounds. I'm sure of it. We have to go to the house. Take a look around."

_Home sweet Hobarts'. __  
_  
Dean parked the Chevelle down the street and popped the trunk. He took out two knives, two guns and some equipment. He handed Alex one of the guns and Sam's demon-killing knife.

"Probably won't need these," he said to reassure them as he handed them to her.  
Alex looked both frightened and amused by his assurances. "Thanks," she said sarcastically.

They crossed under the caution tape and headed into the crime scene. The front door was scraped up. Though it was day it was still nice and dark so Dean and Alex turned on their flashlights and looked around for evidence of demons and their dogs. A few pieces of furniture were broken and an area rug was torn out of place. Dean looked around the windows and doors for traces of sulfur but saw none. Alex was looking at the family photos.

"They had two kids," she noted.  
Dean was barely affected by the revelation. "Crime scene report says they died in their beds."

He walked towards the stairs. Alex followed him up. The master bedroom was at the end of the hallway. The door was covered in claw marks. Dean opened the door and Alex gasped. They were met with another bloody scene. Blood had sprayed across the walls, covered the formerly white bedspread and pooled on the carpet. There was a trail running back towards the bathroom. On top of that the room smelled like more than just two dead bodies. Alex covered her face with her arm to subdue the smell. Dean continued inward.

Dean went to the window. No sulfur. He followed the trail into the bathroom. There was a small window in there and along that sill he found a huge pile of sulfur and a trail of blood going out the window. It had been marked with a card reading "8". He called to Alex and opened the window further. The lower tier of the roof ran right up to the window. This was how the demon got in. Dean crawled out and saw more sulfur. He followed it.

Alex ran downstairs to meet him around the outside. It was windy out and the trees swayed against a dark grey sky. She watched through the leaves as Den made his way down to the end of the roof. Alex ran around the corner of the house to meet him.

"Dean! I think you need to see this!"

The lowest part of the roof was just over a story up. Dean shone his flashlight down to the ground around Alex. He spotted something shiny off behind her.

"See where my flashlight is?" Dean asked. Alex nodded. "Grab that!" Then he crouched down and jumped off the roof. He turned to see what Alex had been looking at.

"What is that?" Alex asked about the symbol she'd spotted on the house as she returned with the item Dean had spotted. She held it by two fingers on the handle and kept it as far as possible from her body, as if it were a dead animal.  
"A sigil," Dean sighed.  
"What's a sigil?"  
"It's like angel-B-gon," Dean explained. He took the crime scene report out of his back pocket. "Looks like the wife died upstairs but the husband died down here on the driveway." He said.  
"Huh, kinda makes sense," Alex said. Dean looked at her. "These symbols, they look like some kind of Hebrew. They're numbers...or coordinates."  
Dean remembered Alex had mentioned being a language expert. "Enochian. Know where the coordinates go?"  
"No idea," Alex said. "There's one symbol on the bottom though. It looks like devil, or demon maybe."  
Dean shone his flashlight over it. Then to a pool of blood marked "12". "I don't get it. If there was an angel here then why..."  
His thought was interrupted by a voice calling out.  
"Hey you!" A man approached them. It was the next-door neighbor. "What the hell are you doing here?"  
"Dean," Alex gasped, and grabbed Dean's arm. He motioned for her to relax.  
"Just checking in from the CSI unit," Dean said. "Needed to make sure all the events were labeled correctly."  
The man looked at Dean skeptically and said, "I'm calling the cops."  
"No problem, we're leaving," Dean said and pulled Alex towards the car. She tucked the knife into her coat. As they passed by the neighbor she gripped Dean's hand tightly. They got into the Chevelle and drove off.  
"Not a fan of the neighbor?" Dean asked teasingly.  
"You couldn't see his face?" Alex asked, eyes wide.  
"I guess he did have a little Freddy Krueger to him," Dean supposed.  
"No, Dean. It was disgusting. His eyes were sunk back, his skin was grey and leathery and his mouth was black and nearly toothless! Tell me you didn't see it."  
"And it was kind of jerking around in faster time?" He asked.  
"Yeah. You did see it?"  
"Sonofabitch," he said. Dean turned stony-faced and stared straight ahead. He needed to find a hotel. They weren't going anywhere.

_Hotel room o'the Episode._

Dean threw his bag down on one of the beds and started removing his suit. On the car ride over he'd explained to Alex that she was seeing the neighbor's true face - his demon face. He guessed it was because of what had happened to her when she was kidnapped. He asked her if she'd ever been visited by an angel, but Alex shook her head no. Dean wondered to himself if she was actually already an angel and didn't know it. Like Anna.

Alex took out her laptop and started setting it up on the lone table in the room. Dean was back in jeans within seconds. She caught a sideways glance of Dean taking off his shirt.

"Whoa," she said. Dean smiled.  
"I get that a lot," he teased.  
"Your tattoo...what is it?" Alex asked.  
"Wards off demon possession," he replied.  
Alex pulled down the collar on her own shirt and revealed an identical tattoo.  
"When did you get that?" Dean asked, stunned.  
"A few years ago. I was drunk in Vegas and the tattoo artist convinced me to get it."

Dean used the time it took to get his tee and plaid back on to consider his next move. He worried that telling Alex too much would scare her but it was clear that leaving her in the dark meant he might be missing important information.

"Well, good news for both of us. Wastes a lot less rock salt that way." Playing it close to the chest as usual.

Alex felt her anger rising. She had been quiet too long. "That's it? We find out we have the same tattoos which just so happen to ward off demon possession and you make a cheap joke? Dean, don't you think I've been in the dark long enough here?" Alex asked, her voice rising along the way.  
"There's nothing to talk about." Dean insisted.  
"You're kidding," Alex said frantically. "I got kidnapped by some demon, I apparently stopped the demon by some kind of angel mojo - to use your words - I can see demon faces on people now but there's nothing to talk about? I don't even know why I'm sticking with you."  
"You wanna leave now? Be my guest. Don't let me keep you here," Dean replied angrily. "I'm just trying to save your life. But don't let that stop you from walking on out of here and getting yourself killed, or worse."  
Alex threw her arms up in disgust. Dean grabbed his coat.  
"Forget it," she said. "Don't leave. I'm hungry. I'm going to get some food." And with that it was Alex who left the hotel room.  
"You shouldn't go out alone," Dean called after her. And then: "Don't let any hellhounds grab hold of that stick up your ass!"

She pretended not to hear him.

Dean opened Alex's laptop. He saw she'd been researching Ipos and started catching up. This demon was known to have a lion's head in Hell. Not unlike a seraph. There was another page up he couldn't read, but he saw in pictures what looked like a demon dragging an angel down to hell. There was another demon in one of the pictures, and in the last panel what had been an angel now looked like a demon. Dean pushed the laptop away. So Ipos was dragging angels to Hell? Or their vessels? Both? He was suddenly nervous for Alex. He took out the cellphone Bobby had given him and called her.

A little while later Dean was furiously clicking away at Alex's computer. Alex was polishing off one of the beers Dean had asked her to get.

"You said the Hobarts had two kids, right?" Dean asked.  
Alex nodded.  
"Well, one of them died last week. Jumped off a bridge outside Minneapolis. The other one is still alive. For now. A student at the University of Wyoming."  
"So the demons are probably headed that way," Alex said.  
Dean nodded. "Something doesn't add up though."  
Alex saw the knife she'd grabbed back at the Hobarts' on the table next to him.  
"And the knife?"  
"It's not a knife. It's a scimitar."  
"A what?"  
"It's a knife that can kill an angel."  
Alex plopped down into the chair across from Dean.  
"I don't get it. The sigil and now this thing? Was it an angel back at the Hobarts' or a demon?"  
"Maybe both," Dean said. "If this demon is killing off vessel bloodlines they're gonna go after the kid up in Laramie next. So we find him first."

_Home of the Cowboys._

Alex ran back out to the Chevelle, which was parked out in front of one of the campus dorms. "Roommate says Jake's down at the campus track. It's about a 5-minute walk from here."

They walked together and saw what looked like the football team doing sprints on the track's grassy inner field. Dean recognized Jake from his high school yearbook photo and the two approached.

"Jake Hobart?" Dean called. Jake nodded.  
"I'm Special Agent Buckingham and that's Agent Nicks. We're from the FBI."  
Jake briefly looked at their badges. "You here to ask about my parents? Or about my sister?" Dean and Alex both looked down at the ground.  
"It's been one hell of a week," Jake continued. "But I don't know why the FBI is getting mixed up in all of this now. It's over."  
"We just need to ask you a few questions and then we'll get out of your hair," Dean said calmly. "Had your sister or parents told you about anything strange in the days before they died? Mentioned any unusual people or anything like that?"  
"My sister's boyfriend broke up with her. So she decided to jump off a bridge," Jake said coldly. "And my Dad reappeared after being missing for 3 years. So yeah, I'd say this week was a little unusual."  
"Your father was missing?"  
"That's right. He just walked out of the house one night in the middle of Monday Night Football. No reason, nothing. We searched the whole damn country for him. Got you guys involved too. Lot of good that did. No trace of him. Then two months ago out of the blue he shows up back at home. My Mom - she couldn't believe it. They were just getting settled back in to being together. My sister and I were supposed to go back this weekend. But you probably already knew that."  
"We have reason to believe your parents might not have been killed in an animal attack," Dean hated to say it. Jake's face twisted.  
"What? Why would you...look, you guys were no help to my family then and you're certainly no help now. Why don't you just leave town?" And with that Jake turned his back on them.  
"Just one last question," Alex called out, surprising all three of them. "Do you have any tattoos?"  
"Tattoos? Really? No, I don't have any. My sister had one of some knot thing. Said it warded off evil spirits or something. She was into that crap."  
Dean pulled at Alex's arm so she'd stop. He motioned for them to leave.

_Pig 'N A Pokeless Diner._

"Here's something interesting," Alex said, looking at her laptop screen while talking to Dean. "Jake Hobart hasn't been in any of his classes or at any of his football practices in almost two weeks. There's a note from the athletics department - they tried calling his parents to see if he'd gone there."  
"So Jake goes missing and Daddy Angel reappears?" Dean mused.  
"Dean, what if an angel was the one attacking the Hobarts? Maybe Jake's dad wasn't done with his mission yet?"  
"I've seen angels do some pretty crazy things," Dean replied. "But they don't kill their vessels. I don't think so anyway. Cas would know." He looked forlorn.  
Alex tensed up as two men walked into the diner.  
"Messed-up demon faces?" Dean asked. Alex nodded. Dean slid down in the booth and motioned for Alex to head out the back door. She clicked her laptop shut, slid it in her messenger bag and made her way towards the back. The two men cut her off.  
"Going somewhere?" One asked. His eyes flipped beetle black. "Don't want you to miss the show."

From behind them, Dean jumped and pulled one of the demons down from behind. Alex quickly wheeled around and knocked the other one over with the force of her messenger bag. They both worked to escape their respective demons. Dean tussled with his on the ground until the demon rolled him over and took the upper hand. It stood up, taking Dean with it by the collar and slammed him into the side of the booth. It pulled him back and did it again, this time crushing Dean's face into the glass partition. Dean was pulled back again bloodier. He used the force of the pullback to his advantage and threw his weight backwards, forcing him and the demon down onto a table. The demon hit the back of its head with a satisfying thump. Dean used the second of downtime to spin around and started punching the demon before picking him up and shoving him back down onto the table.

Alex meanwhile was not faring as well. She had knocked the demon over momentarily but it quickly stood back up and knocked her back into the bar. Her head hit against the corner, partially knocking her out. While she struggled back to full consciousness the demon picked Alex up and threw her over the bar. She landed on the wet floor mat below. She picked herself back up slowly and grabbed a broom lying across the floor, smacking the demon with it. Alex spotted her messenger bag and quickly pulled out the holy water within. She shook the bottle and sprayed at the demon. It cried out in pain and staggered backwards. But then it charged over the bar and onto Alex. It started hitting her.

She cried out and Dean looked over. Enough was enough. "You wanna tell me what you're doing here?" He asked the demon. It looked at him and hissed. "Fine." Dean started Latinating and the demon below him started vomiting smoke. Dean raced through the 3 verses and expelled the demon from its host. The man collapsed back onto the table, bloody and possibly dead.  
Dean flew over to the bar where he heard the demon growling on top of Alex. As he ran to the end of the bar Alex was wrestling the demon. She managed to get one hand free and reached over her own body. She grabbed the knife and plunged it towards the demon. It twisted away and turned it back towards her. Dean grabbed the demon and once again started chanting Latin verse. The demon coughed black smoke out onto Alex as it was exorcised. The host collapsed on top of her. Alex whimpered, stuck under the weight. Dean ran over, pulled the host off of her and helped her up. She collapsed into his arms. He felt the blood trickling down the back of her neck.

"You OK?" He asked her.  
"I hit my head," she said woozily. "But I'm OK."  
They heard a groan from behind them and the former demon across the table stirred back to life.  
"What happened to you?" Dean asked.  
"I don't know. One second I was hanging out with a couple of friends and the next thing I know I'm here."  
"Which friends?" Dean demanded.  
"Pete Tyers and Jake Hobart. You know 'em?"

_Home of the Cowboys (and the Demons)._

Dean and Alex approached the dorm cautiously. No signs of any demons outside. They waited for students to walk out so they could get in. Then they ran up to Jake's room. The door was open. Jake's roommate had met an unfortunate end on the couch. There was a bloody knife and Jake on his knees not too far away. He was slouched over, back to Alex and Dean.

My roommate," Jake said when he heard them come in. "He just...he just came after me. I don't know what was wrong with him." Dean motioned for Alex to go along one wall as he went along the other. Dean took out his gun and prepared to shoot. Quickly, he cocked the gun and took aim.

"My roommate," Jake said again, his voice a mix of surprise and bemusement. "He said something was wrong with me." He turned to Dean as the hunter launched a rock salt bullet. It hit Jake square in the chest but did nothing. The 'oh shit' look spread to Dean's face.

"Do you know what happens when you mix an angel with a demon, Dean?" The meatsuit formerly known as Jake asked. "Resistance to that which harms either."

He grabbed Dean by the neck and started squeezing. Alex, across the room, sprang into action. She ran across the room and stabbed the demon in the back with Sam's knife. Nothing happened. Jake remained on the ground. She fiddled through her bag and tried a silver knife. Nothing. Then a brass one. Notta. After a few more knives, the demon, arm still firmly around Dean's neck, turned around.

"That tickles," it said. It used its free arm to smack Alex back. She recovered and reached into her bag of tricks one more time. This time she grabbed the scimitar. She wasn't close enough to stab so she ran it across the demon's back. It opened a gash which emitted a ray of light and it doubled over in pain, dropping Dean. He landed on his stomach, coughing. Alex ran over and put him over her shoulder and then started to run the other way towards the door.

"Roof," he coughed out. He grabbed Alex's bag and they made their way out together. Alex took Dean around the corner from the door and let him down. Then she quickly turned a water bottle into holy water. When the demon came out she sprayed it with the water. It roared and smoke arose off of it.

"What a bonus," the demon said. "I was just on my way to recruit your bodyguard's brother, and I run into another of the 10 most wanted vessels right here." It stumbled towards Alex and grabbed her face. Dean saw it put a hand on her forehead like he'd seen angels do to so many demons, and each other. He'd been working on his own plan but launched into double time when the saw the light appear in her eyes.

"Hey!" Dean said. The demon turned to look at him, dropping Alex. "See ya later!" Dean pressed his bloody hand into the sigil and the demon was engulfed by white light. It roared for a moment before the sound disappeared as it did. Alex was on the ground gasping for air. Dean was still coughing himself.

They halved the distance to each other.

"How did you know to do that?" Alex asked between gasps. "And what was that thing?"  
"No idea," Dean said, heaving. His arm dripped freely. "Part demon, part angel, all suck."

_Hotel room o'the Episode._

"It was here for someone," Alex said. "I wish we knew who."  
"You, it sounded like," Dean said absently.  
"It said it was on its way to recruit your brother," Alex recalled. "Is that the family thing you were talking about? Ground zero?"  
"No," Dean admitted. "Means we now have a reason to get out west as quickly as possible though."  
"What about the guy we originally came here about?"  
"Bob Gaffert," Dean said from across the table.  
"Who?"  
"The guy in Ellen's file who disappeared." Dean spun the laptop around. "This guy look familiar to you?"  
Alex looked at the police sketch of the kidnapper. "Jake Hobart? What's he got to do with that?"  
"Says in the police report that Gaffert's friend told police that the man fitting this description approached them in the woods and swiped him. Friend said, 'I heard him tell Gaffert that his mission was over before it started.'"  
"Yikes."  
"Yeah. We gotta get to Bobby's." He grabbed the car keys and his backpack. Alex packed up too and they headed for the car.  
"Weird how none of the demon-hurting tools got to it but the angel ones did." She noted.  
"Cas was trying to warn me. I think the amulet plays a role somehow." Dean said.  
Alex nodded. Was Dean sharing with her? Amazing.  
Meanwhile Dean was putting pieces together in his head. And with that there was a change of plans.  
"Well, according to you we're not supposed to see your friend Bobby..."  
"We're not, we're going west."  
"Ready for some family history then?"  
"Just gotta make a quick stop. Check things out with Sam. Pick up a little something. Then we go back to South Dakota," Dean said.  
"That's quite the diversion," Alex said. "Wake me when we're there."


	6. Winchester Rides Again

**Winchester Rides Again.**

_Lawrence, Kansas._

Joey Woodson had found Sam at the local diner, his usual haunt. It was close to midnight but he was eating breakfast. She slid into the booth and laughed as Sam recounted his latest "ghost" hunt, which had turned out to be nothing but Mrs. Gregory's cat stuck in one of the house's crawl spaces.

Sam offered to walk his downstairs neighbor home. They parted company on the driveway. Joey listened to Sam clomp up the stairs like a herd of elephants as she walked into the main house. Her mom had long ago fallen asleep so Joey quietly tiptoed her way into the laundry room to check on her sheets. She opened the dryer door and leaned in to pull the sheets out.

Behind her, a thick cloud of black smoke leaked into the room through the vent. Joey drew herself up, not from the smell of smoke but sulfur. She turned around to the vent and jumped back from the smoke. When she opened her mouth to scream the smoke rapidly flew in, drowning the sound out.

_Somewhere deep in Yosemite. Daybreak._

Dean was concentrating on getting to Palo Alto as fast as he could. He didn't care about sleep, food or girls. He'd almost forgotten about the one in his car until she woke up and groaned.

"Where are we?" Alex asked, rolling towards him a bit.

"Nevada. About an hour away from the California border."

"Where are we going?"  
"Palo Alto."  
"What's in Palo Alto?"  
"My brother."  
"Didn't you say your brother was..."  
"Look, Alex, can we stop with the 20 questions? Take another nap or something. Read a magazine. I dunno, file your nails or something."

Alex glowered at Dean. "Dean, I am super thankful that you saved my life and all. But are you gonna clue me in at any point here? All I've gotten so far from you is a snippet or two about who you are and why you need me. I get the feeling there's a lot you're not telling me."

Dean glanced over at his passenger with an annoyed look. That was true; there was plenty he wasn't telling her. Like how the Apocalypse was coming and no one but him knew it. Like how everyone he was close to was going to die. Like how he needed to change that. Like how he was going to change things for Sam. How he was going to make sure his brother got a second chance at a normal life. Like how he was going to make sure no demon harmed his family, even if he had to do it himself. Like how he shouldered the blame for failing to stop Lucifer from taking over his brother. If it meant getting some vessel hooked up with the proper angel Dean would do it. So long as that vessel wasn't him. He festered before deciding she was right.

"We need to find me in 2005...now...whatever," Dean said. "But I can't remember exactly where I'd be. So we're going to someone who can find me."  
"...your brother."  
"Yes. Then you're going to help me get something I need from myself."  
"The amulet."  
"Right."  
Alex sighed. "So you're here to get something from yourself?"  
"I'm here to get something I never should have lost," Dean responded.  
Alex gave him the once over. She had many more questions but could tell she was getting nowhere. One nugget at a time from this guy. She pulled her hat back down over her head and went back to sleep.

_Road through Eldorado. California. __  
_  
Alex awoke again with a start to cursing outside. She stepped out of the car and found Dean kicking the right front tire that had gone flat. Dean was leaning over it, examining the tire wall. Something sharp had cut clear through it. She peered east down the road where they'd come from and then west. Yep, they were in the middle of nowhere.

Dean popped the trunk hoping to find a spare. He pushed aside a toolbox and guns and knives and knives and guns and a Busty Asian Beauties or two and popped open the false floor. Luckily there was a spare waiting for him. He heaved it out and rolled it past a slightly groggy Alex to the front right of the car. He removed his jacket and tossed it to the side of the road.

"Hey Alex," Dean called. "Could you get me the..."  
"Here ya go!" She interjected, cheerfully handing him a jack that had also been in the trunk.  
"Thanks," Dean said. He placed the jack beneath one of the car's sturdy frame beams and slowly pumped it up as Alex looked on bemused. Once that was done he bent back down to check the lug nuts.  
"Hey Alex," Dean called again. "Could you..."  
"Here ya go!" She said again, handing Dean a cross wrench.  
"...get me a. Cross. Wrench. From the toolkit in the trunk." Dean shot her a look that was half-confused, half-impressed.  
"Want some help?" She asked.  
"Nah, I got this."  
"K," she said, shrugging.

A little while later Dean had the old tire off. He cast it aside and placed the temporary tire on the rim. Working in a star pattern he tightened the nuts one by one until he was satisfied they were as tight as his muscles would allow. Then he gently lowered the car off the jack. He reached down and picked it up.

"Our chariot is ready," he said to Alex, slightly mangling yet another saying.

She'd been watching the entire process quietly. She grabbed the wrench and followed Dean to the trunk. He put the busted tire and the jack in while she reloaded the toolkit.

"Changed a few tires?" He asked.  
"Oh, I've tightened a few lug nuts in my life," she couldn't resist replying with a smile.  
He matched her grin.

_Dot Combustible Valley._

Dean and Alex sat outside of Sam's apartment in the Chevelle, freshly rejuvenated with four new tires.

"How'd we meet?" He demanded.  
Alex responded through a partially put-on sweatshirt. "You and your Dad were in town on a fishing trip. You came back into town looking for some bait" - she rolled her eyes at this part - "and met me at the hardware store...seriously, Dean, is your brother gonna give a crap about any of this?" She emerged in a Stanford hoodie.  
"Absolutely," Dean said with a faux-serious tone. "Devil's in the details."  
Alex sighed.  
"Soo..." Dean prompted.  
"Sooo, we went to a bar and I was bowled over by your manly charms and before I knew what happened we fell into bed together."  
"Annnnddd..."  
"And then you left town. Then I discovered was preggo with a mini-Dashing El Deano. I didn't have your number but I remembered you telling me you had a brother at Stanford, so I looked up Winchester and found you, err, Sam."  
"Make sure you mention how you're secretly pleased to be knocked up by a stud," Dean said confidently, leaning back in his seat.  
Alex snorted. "Would you really tell some one-night stand your real name?" she asked.  
"I can only keep track of so many lies. If you're hot enough you get the real name," Dean said.  
Alex mentally recycled their first conversation.  
"Just get in, get the info and get the hell out of there."  
She nodded and opened the door.

Alex trotted up to the front door and rang the doorbell. Dean watched from the car, trying to see who opened it. He was hoping to catch a glimpse of his brother. It was taking every ounce of mental strength he had not to run up to the door and warn Sam what would happen to him in just a bit over a week.

The door opened halfway and Alex was met with a tall, slightly lanky guy with a mop of hair partially falling into his eye line. Sam Winchester. She threw on the puppy face immediately.

"Uh, hi..." she started cautiously, kicking out one leg slightly and tilting her head to make herself seem young and non-threatening. She squinted slightly. "Are you...Sam Winchester?" He half-smiled.  
"Uh, yeah. Yeah I am. Do I know you?"

She shook her head quickly. "Well, no. I, well, this is going to seem really weird but I met your brother Dean a couple of weeks back and well long story short we ended up sleeping together," she launched. Sam looked amused. "But, um, then a few weeks later I found out I was pregnant but I didn't have his number but he mentioned that he had a brother at Stanford so I know this is terribly awkward but I looked you up because I was hoping you could help me find him butifyoudon'twanttoItotallyunderstand!" She bled the last part together and called on the waterworks. Her eyes welled up with tears and Sam immediately put on his Captain Empathy cape.

"Nono, it's no problem at all," he said, reaching out to her. "Why don't you come inside?" He opened the door fully. She thanked him and followed him inside.

In the car, Dean beamed. Like a charm.

Inside a minute or so later, Alex sat on the futon while Sam grabbed a slouchy recliner kitty corner to her. He handed her a glass of water.

"So you met my brother," Sam said.  
Alex noted a sympathetic tone, almost as though he felt bad for her. She was intrigued.  
"Yeah, you know, he just blew into town one day and I guess I was just kinda...charmed." This elicited a sideways smile and a head shake from Sam.  
"Look, I don't know how much you know about my brother but he's not exactly the communicative type."  
"No kidding."  
"And he's a road warrior. So I don't know what you're looking for here..."  
"Sam, all I want is to find him and let him know. It's his choice after that," Alex said with as much gravitas as she could muster. She put her hand over her tummy for good effect. Seemingly convinced, Sam nodded.  
"I'll call him," Sam offered with a shrug. "I just can't predict how he'll react." Sam lied. He knew exactly what his brother was going to say. Lie to her and forget she existed. The girl's hopeful glance guilted him to action.  
"Thank you, Sam," Alex said. "I can't tell you how much this means to me."

He got up to get the phone and Alex let the smile she'd been stifling escape. Sam walked out of the room to make the call, peeking through the front window. It was then that he noticed the car outside. A Chevelle. With a man inside - was he looking at Sam? Sam pulled the curtain back a bit to check. Too dark to see for sure. His phone connected and the other end started ringing. Then there was a pickup.

"Hey, Dean!" Sam said with as much friendliness as he could muster.  
Alex listened intently from the next room as Sam chatted with his brother.  
"Yeah! Long time no chat I know...yeah, yeah, school's good. No, I'm doing fine. Right..."  
Sam dropped his voice. "Where are you?" He was still fixated on the car until he saw two figures walking towards his house. He let the curtain drop and walked deeper into the room. "Oh, really? I...look, could we meet up? That's only 40 miles away...a beer, that sounds good. What time? OK. Meet me at the Firehouse. Yep. See you then." He hung up as the door opened.

Alex turned. A girl and a guy entered. Though she tried to avoid it, she couldn't help but recoil at the guy. For while the girl was beautiful, the guy's face was twisted with sunken eyes and gray skin. She gasped and quickly turned away to compose herself. Didn't the others see it?  
Sam re-entered, kissed the girl and exchanged a multi-step handshake with the man. Apparently no one else did. The girl shot a confused look towards Alex.

"Jess, Brady," Sam said. "This is Alex." He motioned towards the couch. "She's a classmate of mine. Just transferred in. I told her I'd take her to our study group tonight." He shot her a look that meant, don't question me.

Alex stared at Jess. This girl clearly had no clue about her fate. Dean had mentioned that Sam had nightmares for weeks before it happened. She didn't see any visible signs of it. Would she though?

"Yeah," Alex agreed. "Sam is really nice. He talks about you non-stop Jess." She threw the last part in for good effect.  
Jess beamed and relaxed. "Such a nice guy, Sam," she said as she playfully smacked him on the shoulder. "Brady and I are headed out to the pool hall. Wanna meet up after study group?"  
Sam nodded and they kissed quickly. Jess ran upstairs to grab something. Alex could feel Brady's eyes burning into her a bit. She did not return the glare.

A few minutes later Dean saw Sam and Alex emerge from the apartment together and get into a car. That was not part of the plan - where were they going?

Alex's cell phone rang. She smiled awkwardly at Sam. "Hello?" She said, knowing full well who it was.  
"What the hell are you doing?" Dean hissed.  
"Oh, hi, Dad!" Alex said loudly. "No, I'm just with my classmate Sam, headed to the Firehouse for a little after-class get-together. Don't worry, I'll call you tomorrow."  
"Do not let Sam go in there with you, do you understand?"  
"Sure, Dad, no problem. Love you!" Alex killed the call.  
"Sonofabitch," Dean muttered and brought the car to life.  
Alex's mind raced, trying to think of a quick escape. By the time they pulled into a spot near the bar she had her plan.

"We're here," Sam said, smiling supportively.  
Alex put her hand on his forearm. "Sam, I know how weird this must be for you," she said compassionately. "How about this. Could you go in there and warm up Dean with a drink or two? And then you can say you have to leave and then I'll make my move."  
Sam shook his head. "You shouldn't have to go through theatrics, Alex. Just tell Dean what happened. I'll be there to mediate," he said.  
"No, no, really, I don't want you to be in the middle. Trust me, it will be better with my plan." Alex insisted. Sam relented.  
"OK," he said. "Why don't you hang out somewhere around here for an hour? Give me your number; I'll text you when we're ready."  
Alex nodded. They exchanged numbers and then Alex got out of the car. She leaned down before closing the door. "Thanks Sam!" He waved to her and watched her walk off.

Alex made her way around the corner and ducked into the idling Chevelle.  
"That was close!" She exhaled to Dean.  
"What happened? How did you end up outside some bar? And you let Sam go in there?" Dean asked accusingly.  
"Whoa, calm down," Alex said. "I guess you were somewhere near town. You and Sam agreed to meet up at this bar. Sam's gonna text me in about an hour."  
Dean searched his memory for a hunt near Palo Alto circa 2005. He slapped his forehead. He rubbed his eyes. Then he made the connection.  
"Of course," he said. "I'm a goddamn idiot."  
Alex wrinkled her face in confusion.  
"My Dad, he'd picked up the yellow-eyed demon and was near Jericho."  
"Ah...and you?"  
Dean shifted uncomfortably. "...had just about caught up with him. I was tailing him from the north. Not too far outside Palo Alto." Dean laughed.  
"What?" Alex asked.  
"I'm just surprised I took Sam's call," he replied with a chuckle. "Guess it was because I was so close. Just a few days before I ended up coming down here anyway." He looked back to Alex. "You gotta get ready."  
"In the car?"  
"Your bag's in the backseat."  
"Dean, unless you want me to end up looking like a cross between a clown and a tranny hooker, no!"  
"Alright, alright. You women. There's a hotel a couple of blocks over. We don't have much time though."  
Alex waved him off. They peeled out of the lot.

_Hotel room o'the Episode._

Dean was trying to stifle his boredom as Alex got ready. He checked the time on his phone. He looked out the window, trying to let time pass. He checked his phone again. He whistled and closed his eyes. They opened again quickly. He checked his phone. Finally, after what seemed like ages Alex emerged from the bathroom in a short skirt and a cleavage-displaying top. Dean nodded approvingly.

"Sam is going to see right through this," Alex moaned.  
"Who cares? You're not trying to impress him," Dean countered.  
"I did get his number though," she said, waving her phone in front of Dean teasingly. Dean grabbed the phone.  
"What?" He said, shocked.  
"Relax, it's just so he can text me after he warms you up," she said with a laugh.  
"You need to hike up your skirt a bit," Dean teased.  
"Yeah thanks." She replied. "Seriously though, is this going to grab your attention?"  
Dean used the opportunity for an inappropriate once or twice-over. "How many drinks have I had?" He replied callously.  
She threw a pillow at him.  
"Oh, Dean, there's something I wanted to mention...one of Sam's friends...his face." She said.  
Dean's eyes widened. "Brady."  
"You know him? Is it one of the demons you..." Alex was cut off by the text message incoming tone. "That's your brother. Guess he's about ready for me."  
Dean nodded and stood up. "Let's get this show on the road."

_Bar of this fire is outta control._

They had talked about their Dad, Dean's last hunt and Sam's school. Then after awkwardly filling the remaining 50 or so minutes Sam was ready to beg off this mini-family reunion. He loved his brother and all but they had nothing in common. Dean was carrying on the family business. Sam was carrying on a life. He didn't bother mentioning Jess or his intentions. He didn't think Dean would care or understand.

Alex strolled into the bar and placed herself strategically within Sam's sight line but with Dean's back to her. Sam saw her and momentarily reacted to her change in appearance. Yet he was not surprised at the type of girl Dean attracted. He sighed.

"Well, bro, I gotta get back to the books," Sam said.  
"Aw c'mon Sammy," past Dean said. "We just got started!" Sam frowned at the childhood nickname that he never liked.  
"Sorry dude, big test tomorrow. But if you're still in town next week you should call me."  
"Yeah, yeah," Dean said with a smile, polishing off his beer. He got up to hug Sam goodbye. Sam ordered one more for Dean. They embraced briefly and then Sam made his exit.  
Alex didn't wait long to swoop in.  
She sidled up to spot Sam had left open. She motioned for the bartender as she felt Dean's eyes looking her over.  
"Jack and Coke," she ordered, as Dean had instructed.  
"Takes a feisty gal to order a drink like that," Dean said, as his later self had promised he would.  
Alex threw him a flirty glance. "What can I say? It's like you already know me..." She said.  
He tapped the empty barstool and Alex slid on, exposing a bit more leg than she was comfortable with. It seemed to do the trick.

Out in the car Dean was stewing. Ruminating. And also staring. Specifically at the Impala, his baby, which was sitting just a few spots away. He was endlessly tempted to steal his car from his earlier self. He got out of the Chevelle. He walked over to it. "Hi baby," he said gently. "I've missed you." He ran a finger through the grime on the car's roof. Until the truck accident he had been somewhat neglectful of the car. Dean hated his own carelessness. That would change.

After a few minutes he tore himself away and walked back to his temporary time-displaced ride. And he thought some more. The yellow-eyed demon was somewhere nearby. Sam was just a couple of weeks away from a life-altering tragedy. Dean's intention had been just to meet back up with his brother and return to the time they'd expected to land in together - just before the Apocalypse, so they could stop it. But maybe this was a blessing in disguise. If Dean could stop the demon from getting to Jess, and thereby Sam, maybe he could stop the whole cycle before it started. Yet Dean found himself wondering if he even wanted to. Hunting with Sam was better than any life he'd ever known. Maybe the solution was to save Jess but still pull Sam away - no, that wouldn't last too long. Sam would bitch and bitch until Dean let Sam get back to her.

And then there was Castiel. Why did he say not to go back to Bobby's? And what was Dean's amulet the key to? He'd heard promises of its importance before. And where the hell was the Sam Dean knew? Dean got lost in his own thoughts. He must have lost track of time too because next thing he knew Alex was coming out arm in arm with past Dean. Dean instinctively ducked - was he not supposed to see himself? He wasn't sure so he played it safe.

When he heard the unmistakable sound of the Impala starting Dean sat back up. He waited to see which way Metallicar turned and then started the Chevelle to follow. He waited until they had rounded the corner and then followed. Dean had instructed Alex to text him their location but the truth was Dean knew himself well enough to know which hotel they'd be at and his probable check in name. Sure enough after a short drive he spotted the Impala banking into the last strip hotel on the right.

He parked a row behind the Impala and his phone chimed with a text message - room 107. Just off to his left. He peered expectantly. He saw one figure through the sheer curtains, and then a second. And then they joined. Then the heavier curtains were drawn. Dean shook his head and leaned back to wait.

Thirty minutes passed. Then an hour. "Well," Dean said out loud to no one in particular. "Dean Winchester rides again." And then, after a moment: "Guess we'll meet up in the morning." He started the engine and put the Chevelle into gear to head back to his hotel.

Though Dean didn't see it, not too far behind was another car. He'd been a tail but he'd had a tail too. It was Sam's friend Brady - demonically enhanced.

_Kansas apartment where Ginormotron and His Hair Sleep. __  
_  
Sam hadn't slept the night before and he doubted he would sleep on this night either. There were nightmares every night that were now haunting him during the day too. Sam had kept his mind otherwise occupied at work (the garage) and other work ("ghost" hunting). Sometimes the hunts were legit. Sometimes they were just someone looking for company. He groggily made his way up the stairs to his apartment. It was just over 24 hours before the Baby Sam Winchester would turn 6 months, and the adult one was just as crabby and ready for a nap. He collapsed onto his bed hoping that his tiredness would allow him a few hours of sleep.

"Sam?" He heard a voice from downstairs.  
"Yeah?" he called down, not wanting to move.  
"Sorry to bug you..." Joey called up. "I just, I could use your help in the house if you have a few minutes."

Sam groaned. He was tempted to put it off until the morning, but it would be one more task weighing on his mind. He ruefully forced himself to get off the bed and traipsed down the stairs. Joey shot him a small smile and thanked him. Sam followed her into the house. It was completely dark.

"I think the circuit panel blew," Joey said. "But I'm scared to even touch it."  
"I'm not exactly an electrician," Sam replied.  
"That's OK. Could you just take a look?"  
They continued on in the dark. Sam could barely see so he followed Joey closely as she guided him through the rooms. He smelled something burning before they made it to the utility room. There were no windows to let even ambient light in. Sam couldn't see anything. He let Joey know as much and she trotted off to get a flashlight.

Left alone, Sam felt around for the electrical panel. Joey had said it was right in front of him. He nearly tripped as he slowly shuffled forward. There was something blocking his path. She returned with a flashlight and turned it on. She shone it onto the electrical panel. Sam made his way to it. The casing was dented and it was hard to open. It felt a bit slippery. He finally forced the metal door outward and noticed that the master switch had tripped. With a deep breath and a healthy fear of getting electrocuted, Sam flipped the breaker fully back to the "OFF" position, and then flipped it to "ON." The lights buzzed and then a single chain-powered light came on the room.

Satisfied, Sam closed the door to the panel. He saw the trail immediately. That slippery stuff he'd felt? Blood. He looked down. The thing he'd tripped over? A man's body.

He wheeled around and was met once again with Joey, eyes beetle black.

"Thanks," she sneered at him. Before Sam could react, she held her hand out and slammed him back against the panel. He hit his head against it and collapsed to the ground, almost falling on top of the body below.  
"Who are you?" Sam demanded to know.  
"Friend of Lucifer," demonically-enhanced Joey said. "Thought at all about my offer?"  
"I'm going to have to pass," Sam said, launching himself at Joey. He caught her and she fell out of the room backwards. Sam landing on top of her and, with a touch of regret, landed a punch.  
"Joey? Are you in there?"

The demon sneered. "Joey can't talk right now." It reached for a magazine rack leaning against the wall, grabbed it, and struck Sam across the face. He fell over sideways and the demon slipped out from under him. It ran back into the darkness.

With a hand still over his face, Sam staggered to his feet and hit the switch. The demon was frozen in the center of the living room.

"I see you found one of the Devil's Traps I added after the last time you visited Joey," Sam said with a small smile. "Ups the resale value. Not really great for the everyday though, so I hid it under the rug." Sam wiped a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth and took his hand away as the stinging subsided.

The demon turned to face Sam, eyes still black. Then Sam watched as they brightened to red.  
"Let's try this again. Who are you?" Sam asked. The demon didn't answer. "OK, who's that?" He asked, pointing back to the body in the utility room.  
"Azazel," the demon inside Joey said coldly.  
Sam's face flickered with anger. "I don't believe you," he said.  
"It was like a workplace reunion," it continued. "See, demons can't travel through time like you can Sam, but we have angels working for us who can. So when one of the angels true to my Lord said you were back here, plans changed. Lucifer spoke to my boss who sent me here to let Azazel know he'd been replaced. He didn't take it very well though. I tried to talk him down from the ledge but he attacked me. I had to defend myself."

Sam felt the anger boiling inside of him.

"You should be thanking me Sam. I did what you always wanted. I saved your family. For the time being anyway."  
"If I am spared from the demon blood why do you still give a damn about me?" Sam asked.  
"Lucifer has his favorites I suppose. Besides, from what I hear, you two didn't exactly part on good terms. You owe him, Sam. It's a debt that will be paid. Now why don't you let me out of this silly thing and we can negotiate. I'm sure we can work something out."  
"To lead some army of demons? No thanks," Sam growled.

The demon laughed. "Demons are yesterday's news. I have a brother like you do. He and I go around collecting angels and their vessels. Sometimes they're already one and the same. Know what happens when you combine an angel and a demon in Hell? Resistance to that which harms either. That's the army that's being built as we speak. An army I will join and you will lead."

Sam's face fell. This was getting bigger and badder by the second. Castiel had been right.

"Getting kind of bored here, Sam," the demon said. It looked up. The house started shaking.  
Sam knew he'd drawn all the information out of the demon he could. He was sorely tempted to grab the Colt from his apartment but he resisted to save his friend. He started Latinating to exorcise the demon. After the first verse, it coughed a little black smoke. During the second it keeled over and as Sam polished off the fastest exorcism he'd ever chanted Joey's head flew back and the demon was once again expelled. Joey collapsed in a heap. The house stopped shaking, with only a small crack in the ceiling as evidence.

Sam rushed over. "Joey," he said, holding her limp body. He shook her gently. After a moment Joey coughed and started gasping for air. Sam heaved a sigh of relief as the girl returned to consciousness. He quickly looked back to the utility room where Azazel's body had been.

Except the body was gone. And Sam was confused.


	7. All the Options

**All the Options.**

_Hotel room o'the Episode._

Dean was using Alex's laptop to check into omens. There was the batch his dad was following - the one attached to the yellow-eyed demon. It had made its way south from Washington and was now heading east in Nevada along the path Alex and Dean had followed west. Meanwhile another batch of electrical storms and freak happenings of nature was in Eastern Illinois, headed west. If one demonic omen set traverses Nevada at 70 mph and one sets out from Eastern Illinois at 90 mph...Dean was calculating where they might meet when he heard the Impala rumble into the parking lot. A door opened and shut quickly and the car roared off. Then the hotel room door opened.

Alex strolled into the room in a pair of boxers and a plain tee. Dean's clothing. She carried her wardrobe from the night before. Dean gave her the eyebrow salute and his face took on a shit-eating grin.

"So," Dean said. "How was I? Give me the dirt."  
"You're an animal," Alex complied, patting Dean on the shoulder as she walked past him to the bathroom.  
Dean nodded his approval. He self-congratulated for a minute and then realized that Alex seemed to be avoiding him. "You got the amulet, right?"  
"I tried Dean," she called from the bathroom, door half ajar. "I really did. I asked you about it. You told me the story of how Sam gave it to you for Christmas. I asked if I could see it but you wouldn't let me near the thing!"

Dean had to admit that sounded about right.

"I did everything I could!" Alex continued. "But you never took the damn thing off. You sleep with your face buried in a pillow, and under that pillow is a gun. You have a knife within arm's reach! It was hopeless." She emerged from the bathroom in her own clothing.

Dean whipped around in his chair. "So you didn't get it," he growled.

Alex shrugged. And then she smiled. She put her right arm up, hand in a fist. Then she let the amulet drop down.

Dean returned to approval.

"How long until you notice it's gone?" She offered as a reply, tossing it over to him.  
Instinctively Dean put it back on. "Not long," Dean confirmed her suspicions.  
Alex quickly threw her items into her bag and put it on. She was ready to go. "So what now?"

Dean mulled over his options. They had the amulet but no idea how to use it. Castiel had been radio silent and Dean wasn't sure how to contact the angel. They'd hit dead ends trying to research more on Ipos online, and couldn't find much on whatever Jake Hobart had become. The books Dean had grabbed from Bobby were not any help either. For the moment the demons seemed quiet. Though Cas had warned them not to Dean knew what his best option was.

Instead of telling Alex all that though, he just told her his decision. "We turn the angel GPS in this thing on," Dean said. "We could use some help."  
"Who?"  
"Bobby."

Alex clammed up. Hadn't they been told specifically not to go there? She didn't want to but she found herself trusting Dean. Not knowing the full plan, she was left to rely on his intuition.

"You think this angel of mine can fix all this?" Alex didn't define what all this was.

Dean weighed the effect of a lie versus the truth. "I've seen angels do some mind-blowing things. But I really don't know." The truth. "So we have to talk to someone who might."  
"What about your brother? It's just a few days until Jess dies, right? You talk about him an awful lot - even back here in 2005."  
"We're coming back," Dean said, "but not without help."

The phone Bobby gave them rang. "Hello? Bobby? Yeah, we're headed up that way anyway. OK, we'll be there soon. Right." He dumped the phone back in the glove compartment. "Guess everything is fine with Bobby for now. He said I should head on up that way."

"Can I drive some at least?" Alex asked.

Dean shot her down with one look.

_Kansas apartment where Ginormotron and His Hair Sleep._

After a restless night with little sleep Sam was awake before the sun. It was the day. His younger self was about to turn 6 months old. Tonight was the night that dictated his fate. He was determined to change it. To save his family. To save himself.

Sam had a plan in mind which mostly revolved around not leaving the Winchester house. He'd thought about trying to convince them to run somewhere safe. But he didn't know where safe was and that left them susceptible to attacks down the road. No. With the Colt in hand, his best plan was to make sure he was at the house so that when the yellow-eyed demon came he was ready. He'd wrangled a beer and cards invite out of John. Sam would "drink" too much and then pass out at the house. When the yellow-eyed demon showed up he'd be ready. If the yellow-eyed demon showed up. Sam had no idea who or what to expect but he was ready to fight anything.

At work Sam was quiet. John tried to talk to him a few times but Sam concentrated on his tasks. Castiel had given him just a bit of extra time - until sunrise the next morning. They were to meet in Salina, a two hours' drive away. He had one shot to get it right. Sam wasn't interested in being stuck in 1983 forever. He did want to go home. Maybe after tonight he'd have more of a home to return to. He tried not to think about how life would change if he was successful. He tried less to think about how life would (or wouldn't) change if he failed.

Once work was done he went back to his apartment. He showered. He shaved. He tamed his hair. He put on jeans and a nice button-down shirt. He loaded all the remaining bullets into the Colt. He tucked into a holster along his belt. He hid it with his long shirt. He buttoned the shirt up and up and up and up and up. He threw on a coat. He headed downstairs. Walked outside. Got in his truck. Drove to the Winchesters'. Parked. Looked. Got out. Walked up. Inhaled. Exhaled. Knocked on the door.

John threw the door open. "Sam!" He said enthusiastically.  
"John," Sam said, returning a smile and nodding in his dad's direction.

John patted him on the back as he came in. Mary welcomed him warmly too. She had let go of their hunting interaction. John offered Sam a beer which he gratefully accepted. He made sure John had one too - had to keep their card game fair after all.

Little Dean came up to say hi to "Uncle Sammy." Dean ordered Sam to come see a project he'd been working. Ever the respectful little - if not younger at the moment - brother, Sam followed Dean diligently upstairs. Dean was of course enamored with Sam's ghost hunter story and had drawn a book. Sam had never known Dean to be an artist. But he went with it. Dean had drawn a book called "The Winchester Family Business." Inside Dean and Sam drove around together - in Dad's Impala, natch - and hunted ghosts together. Sam used the Colt and Dean used what looked like a Bowie knife. In the book they saved a family - which looked an awful lot like John, Mary and the boys - from an evil ghost. Sam was of course much, much taller than anyone else in the book.

Sam found himself emotional over the whole thing. "Where'd you come up with this idea, Dean?" he asked.  
Dean shrugged. "I think it would be cool, you know? Me and you out on the road. Maybe my little brother could come along too...when he's old enough."  
Sam nodded. No, his eyes were not red. And there was nothing in his throat either. At least so he told himself.  
"Why'd you call it the 'Winchester Family Business'?" he asked his brother-who-didn't-know-it.  
Dean shrugged again. "You're kinda like family I guess. Besides, it's my story. I call the shots."  
You sure do, Sam said to himself. There was no bitterness. Just acceptance. And a sense of the bittersweet.

Several hours later Sam was down $100 to John and didn't care. He was "drunk" and John was drunk. Turns out John Winchester was a happy drunk, telling Sam how he was like a son to him and talking about expanding the garage so they could turn the shop into a real business. Part of Sam wished it could be true. But like ever he wished for his own life. To finish school and go on to a law degree. To get married and have his own family. To have his family around to enjoy it with him would mean the world.

Finally around 12:30 AM John passed out in front of the TV. Sam was watching it to stay awake.

Upstairs his baby self was 6 months old. He heard his baby self cry. And then footsteps. His Mom. His heart raced. Part of him wanted to wait for the scream so he could be sure. But maybe it would be too late by then. He tiptoed up the stairs. He walked down the hallway to the baby's room. He peeked into the dark. Inside, Mary was walking around the crib. The window was open. A breeze rustled in. Sam heard scratching against the window. He clutched the Colt with his right hand. Mary reached into the crib. A shadow appeared in the window. She picked baby Sam up. There was a noise. Something bumping against the house. Scratching. Sam couldn't wait anymore. He rushed in, hand on gun. Mary screamed, almost dropping baby Sam. She flipped on the light.

"Goodness, Sam, you nearly scared the life outta me!" She scolded him.

Sam's eyes were wide and his nostrils flared. His eyes darted around. There was no sign of the yellow-eyed demon. Had he come up too early? Mary was calm as could be though. She sat down in the rocking chair. She settled down the baby. She had a warm bottle ready. She started to feed the baby. Adult Sam was highly confused. He let go of his gun.

John arrived at the door. "You alright Mary? Thought I heard something," he said.  
"Yes, I'm fine. Sam here just gave me a start." She smiled at their friend.

Sam turned to John, looking for signs of possession. Did the yellow-eyed demon know Sam was there? Had his plan changed? Was the demon the night before right - was Azazel dead?

"Well, it's getting pretty late, Sam. You're welcome to sleep on the couch if ya like."  
"Thanks," Sam muttered, "I think I'll do that."

Mary put the baby back down. Baby Sam was fast asleep. John and Mary said their goodnights and Adult Sam went back downstairs. He sat on the couch. He couldn't figure it out. Where was the yellow-eyed demon?

A few hours later roosters were crowing. The sun was coming up. Sam was still awake, barely, on the couch. No demon visit. No screams. No fire. Just another typical night at the Winchester household. Sam was supposed to leave to meet Castiel. He couldn't. Something wasn't right. Then the sun was up. And Sam was still on the Winchesters' couch. Upset. He looked out the window at the sun. He looked back inside. Castiel had appeared next to him on the couch.

"We need to go, Sam. Your brother needs you."  
"The demon - he never showed," Sam said in disbelief. "What if he's coming tonight? What if I got the date wrong?"

Castiel looked straight ahead. Sam would want to stay if he thought his family was in danger. Castiel needed him to leave. "Something has changed. I can't explain it yet, but you coming back here...your brother going back to 2005. The plan is different. There is a different faction of demons active now. And they don't seem to be following the same orders as the others. We risk changing too much by staying here longer."

"So...I didn't have to do anything but be here. But it worked? Now what? Are we safe or not?"

Castiel didn't answer right away. He didn't want to lie to Sam. But Castiel knew that no matter how hard they tried to change the past, it would never work. He didn't know where Azazel was, but he knew that the demon would find a way to kill off Mary Winchester. Castiel needed to make sure Sam was long gone before that. "It's hard for me to say. The things I'm hearing - they don't make much sense. Things are unsteady, ungrounded right now."

Or, Sam thought to himself, it could be because you died. Maybe we all did.

"You can't do any more by staying here Sam. You have the Colt. We should move on," Castiel urged.

Sam considered his options. He wanted to stay. But staying meant the same thing as always, waiting and watching. Cas was right. It wasn't worth risking things alone in a time he knew little about. The longer he stayed, the more things changed. So it was off to 2005 and a brother who didn't know he was alive.

_Heavenly meet up spot._

Castiel and Sam materialized mid-stride outside of a storage bunker.

"Where are we?" Sam asked, wheeling around.

"Salina. The meeting spot."  
"When are we?"  
"1983 still. We needed to get here first." Castiel strode towards the bunker. A very tall, very full, very old-looking tree sat next to the bunker.  
"This is the angel meeting spot?" Sam asked incredulously.  
"Yes."

Sam followed Castiel into the bunker. It was windowless, save for a skylight which was slatted. Rays of light shone in from above, giving Castiel an even more angelic appearance.

"Why here?" Sam asked.  
"This is holy ground. The tree. It's older than time. It's a grounding point for time travel."  
"We've never needed this before."

Castiel tapped Sam on the forehead without reply. The sun adjusted above them to shine down at a different angle.

"We're here," the angel said.  
"2005?"  
Castiel nodded.  
"And now?" Sam sighed.  
"We wait."

_Lush Coastal Rainforests of Central South Dakota._

Dean motored the Chevelle down the drive to Bobby's, pulling up besides his friend's less pristine Chevelle. He threw the car in park and killed the engine. Alex took in the surroundings. They exited the car.

"Cas said something wasn't quite right around here," Dean noted as he popped the trunk. "So just follow my lead." He threw a couple of shotguns loaded with rock salt into his bag and tossed it over his shoulder.

Alex nodded.

They started walking towards the house when a tarp caught Dean's eye. It was thrown over a car that had a familiar silhouette. He peeked under it. Confirming the car's identity, he threw back the tarp to reveal his Impala. Alex's face turned from confusion to surprise as Dean moved closer to inspect his baby. It seemed to be fine aside from needing a good wax. The car was locked though so Dean backed away.

"I am not supposed to be here right now," Dean said.  
"No kidding," Alex snipped. "Didn't your angel friend say not to come?"  
"No," Dean said, distracted. "I mean in 2005. I should be in California." He looked around for his dad's truck but saw no sign of it.  
"Oh," Alex mumbled.  
"Son of a bitch," Dean said. "Something is definitely not right." He checked his jacket pocket for the familiar feel of pearl ivory and then motioned silently for Alex to follow him. Hesitantly, she did.

They approached the house. The front door was open so Dean let himself and Alex in. "Bobby?" Dean called.  
"Dean, is that you?" Bobby called from the kitchen. "Yeah, it's me. I've got company too."

Dean motioned up the stairs to show Alex the bathroom, and she headed that way to clean herself up. Dean went to the kitchen. Bobby was reading a book at the table and had some paperwork spread out across it. He got up and welcomed Dean, offering him a drink. As usual Dean accepted. He knew Bobby would test him with holy water at some point. Best to get it over with early. Dean took a closer look at the papers - there was a large map of the middle portion of the USA which red circles over some cities. Others had been red circled at one point but were now black x's. He looked at the book. It was open to a page about angels who turned to demons.

"Doing a little dinner reading?" Dean asked sarcastically.  
"Something real bad's goin' on out there," Bobby answered, his back to Dean. "Haven't seen anything like this before."  
"No kidding," Dean sighed.  
"How's that hunt goin?" Bobby asked as he strolled over with a drink.

Dean looked up and accepted it. He took a nice long swig for Bobby's benefit, but he didn't seem to relax. Dean's suspicions were aroused. He looked back down at the map for familiar locations. He noticed Omaha had a black X. Cheyenne too.

"Oh, fantastic," Dean continued to drip sarcasm. "So far we've crossed 9, 10 victims and one hell of a nasty demon-angel thing. I was hoping you might have some idea how to stop it."

They heard a crash upstairs. Dean moved towards the hallway. "Alex?" He called up the stairs. More crashing, and then the noise died. Dean turned to put his drink down and found Bobby almost on top of him, a knife drawn.

"Whoa, Bobby, what is this?" Dean asked slowly.  
"I don't know who you are but you're not Dean Winchester," Bobby said with determination. "I know demons are stupid but this is impressive, even by those standards."  
"We're not demons!" Dean insisted, swirling his drink. "Look, you have a devil's trap under the rug, right?" Bobby did in fact have one set below a throw rug. Dean stepped in, then out of the circle to prove it. Bobby's eyes widened. Dean flashed his tattoo.  
"Shapeshifters, then," Bobby inferred.  
"Really? I'm not a shapeshifter either," Dean retorted. "So what? You think I'm a ghost maybe? How about a Leshi? Bobby, it's me."

Dean heard a click and turned halfway. Alex was just over the threshold, and behind her was Ellen holding a gun to the younger woman's back. Alex was dripping wet.

"Dean," she said, looking to him.  
"You OK?" he asked her.  
"Aside from having my face shoved in a sink full of holy water? Yeah I'm good," Alex replied.

She didn't need to say anything else. Dean backed away from his spot near Bobby slowly.

"Let's just talk about this," Dean insisted.  
"Honey, there's not much to talk about," Ellen said calmly. "You show up and about 24 hours later someone gets killed. Bobby's neighbor a couple of weeks ago, two people about an hour west of the Roadhouse right after you both left there."  
Dean's eyes widened. "They're following us," he realized. "They're hunting us down."  
"Ipos? You think he's following us?" Alex asked worriedly.  
"Him or some of his demon goons," Dean confirmed.

The group heard more crashes, outside this time.

"That didn't sound good," Bobby drawled.

Above them, one of the boarded up windows collapsed in. Someone was coming inside. He looked to Dean and Alex, and then to Ellen, who shrugged in return.

"We're on the same side here," Alex reasoned.  
Bobby shook his head now. "Till we get things sorted out here, no one's helping anyone." He waved his hand to Ellen, who tossed him another gun.  
"Bobby," Dean appealed.  
"Sorry boy," Bobby replied, and motioned for Dean to go downstairs to the basement, where the panic room awaited.

_Room of This is No Time to Panic (Start Panicking)._

"Well, that went really well Dean," said Alex, sitting on a cot along one wall of Bobby's panic room, arms folded. "I'm glad we came."  
"I could have predicted Bobby not believing anything I tell him. But Bobby refusing help? That I didn't expect."  
"He seemed like he had a seen a ghost. So did you, actually," Alex noted.  
"Yeah, something like that," Dean muttered. Seeing Ellen again was throwing him for a loop.  
"I don't understand how why the demons are just following us...they could have killed us but they didn't," Alex noted. Why do you think that is?"  
"They're waiting for someone," Dean guessed. "Or for something to happen. Just like the rest of us."

There were sudden crashes outside. Then footsteps down the stairs. Then the sound of the panic room being unlocked. Then the door opening. Dean peered out but saw no one. He and Alex traded skeptical glances. Dean waved for Alex to follow him. They emerged into the basement. No one. They slowly crept up the stairs. Nothing. They went into the kitchen and found Bobby and Ellen passed out on the floor. Dean stared at them curiously. When he looked up, Castiel had as always appeared uncomfortably close to him.

"Cas?" Dean echoed his brother's reaction at seeing their angel friend again.  
"I thought you would find it easier to talk without having to prove your humanity," Castiel said, looking down at their friends.  
"Thank you," Dean managed. "And the demons?"  
"Expelled. For the record I think the four of you could have taken the two of them." There was the slightest hint of sarcasm in Castiel's voice.  
"Yes, thank you, Cas!" Dean said again, upping the indignation.  
The angel changed the subject. "It is good to see you," Castiel tried. "You were hard to locate."  
"Because I have those damn marks on my ribs. Do I really need those right now?"  
"Possibly more than before," Cas said while nodding. "If too many angels knew you were here..."  
"How did you know?"  
"Because whatever I tell you to do, you have the habit of doing the opposite." Castiel said matter of factly.  
Dean chortled. "So you were just calling me for the hell of it back there?"  
Castiel shook his head no to deny it. "No. You were being tracked by a dangerous pack of demons. I was calling to tell you. I didn't know this had happened to you."  
"It wasn't you who sent me back here?" Dean asked.  
"No. I don't know how you ended up back here. This could be a move from somewhere in Heaven to try again. But it could also be a move by Lucifer to prevent him from being stopped. I can't say for sure. I only know what my orders are. And they're coming from very, very high up."  
"And what are they?" Dean snapped.  
"Find you. Find Sam. And find out the angel that pulled you back here." Castiel ticked each item.  
"An angel did this?" Dean asked dubiously.  
"An angel did this," Castiel said.  
Dean's eyes glazed over. "Can't imagine there's much left of Sam to find."  
"1983."  
"What?" Dean eyed his angelic friend nervously.  
"Sam was in 1983."  
"Sam. Sam was in 1983? Is Lucifer still wearing him to the prom?" Dean noted that Castiel seemed dismayed by the last question. And stunned. That made two of them.  
"Sam is clear of any demonic influence."  
"Have you talked to him?"  
Castiel nodded. "He's here. Outside."

Dean felt his breaths shorten. His brother was alive. And healthy. This really was some kind of second chance. Dean wondered how much Sam remembered. Not that it mattered. He was alive.

"Sam?" He called.

His brother had been outside on the front porch, lost in his own thoughts. Sam had been waiting patiently on the first day to see Dean. When the second started he got antsy. By midway through the second he was near insanity. Castiel had filled him in. Dean thought he was dead. Sam told Cas it was good to see him with his angel mojo back. He got an unexpected reaction to that - Cas's shoulder's fell. It was a reminder that Sam had been lost for awhile. It was a miracle Castiel found him, and in one piece both physically and mentally.

Now Sam was in familiar surroundings at Bobby's, hearing a familiar voice in his brother calling him inside. He stepped into the kitchen where Castiel, Dean and Alex were waiting. Eventually his eyes settled on his brother. Alive.

Dean did the same. Sam. Not Samifer-ed. Dean stopped breathing for a minute. "Sammy," he managed, and nodded in his brother's direction. The brothers embraced in a loaded hug. It was good to be back together where they belonged.

"You did good, Dean," Sam said.  
"You too, you sonofabitch," Dean said. "Don't you ever leave me like that again."  
The brothers separated and Dean looked back to Cas and Alex, who were a little choked up by the moment too. "How's he look?" Dean asked.  
"A haircut seems to be in order," Castiel stated for the record.  
"You look great, Sam," Alex said, picking up on Dean's question. "Not even a hint of demon. I'm Alex by the way."  
Sam nodded, and squinted a bit. Did he know her? It felt like he did.

Dean was satisfied and for now more complete than he was an hour ago. Call it what you like but life as a Winchester always meant family first. And Dean's family was suddenly a bit more whole. He asked Castiel what the next step was. Castiel admitted he wasn't quite sure.

"Your brother," Alex reminded Dean. "It's just a few days from now, right?"  
"What is?" Sam asked, confused.  
"Old yellow eyes is about to flambé Jess," Dean said bluntly.  
Sam shifted uncomfortably. "Are we sure? Because I, uh..." he trailed off.  
It was Dean's turn to shift uncomfortably. "You what?"  
"I made Cas wait to bring me here. I stayed at Mom and Dad's the night that she died. The night the demon poisoned me with demon blood. He never came, Dean."  
"You sure?" Dean asked.  
"Yeah, I'm sure. I waited until way past sunrise. Nothing. Not even a hint of him. There's something else too." He reached into his jacket pocket. He pulled out the Colt. Dean's eyes went wide.  
"Where'd you get that?" He asked.  
"Long story," Sam replied.

Dean pondered what it all could possibly mean. The more that happened the more he couldn't help thinking that Alex was the answer to all of it. "And what about Alex? And the amulet?"

Castiel hesitated, then gently sat next to her and took her arm, where the cut Ipos had given her still was unhealed. "Alex is under a blood spell. We'll need the amulet later, once it's broken."

"A blood spell?" Dean asked.  
"To Ipos. He put her under it when she was kidnapped," Castiel answered rapidly.  
"How do we break it?" Dean responded in kind.  
"There are three ways to break a blood spell. You can be released from it, which is not likely. You can kill the demon holding the spell, which is not likely. Or you can fulfill the contract of the spell. By dying. Which is what will happen here."  
"Pardon?" Alex interjected. She looked to Dean for help. He looked to Castiel for answers.  
Castiel leaned down to check on the ones still passed out. "This is good news for you."  
"Cas!" Dean said, exasperated. "You don't just drop a bomb like that and call it good news!"  
Castiel stood back up, confused. "Before no one knew where Alex was. Now we know where exactly where she'll be."  
"Yeah, in Hell," Dean said.  
"We tried but we couldn't find any of the angels who'd fallen to Perdition before. Now we'll know exactly where she is."  
"The amulet," Dean muttered. Alex, who had not said a word in awhile, spoke up.  
"There are other angels trapped in Hell?" she asked Castiel. "In their vessels?"

"In a manner of speaking," Castiel said. "Ipos has been tracking the vessels of angels loyal to God down one by one. The angel gets called to their vessel by what seems like a Heavenly assignment. I haven't figured out how the angel is being summoned yet. Ipos binds the angel to the vessel's soul with a blood spell. The spell, it strips the angel's grace so they can't return to Heaven. They're fallen; sealed to the vessel's soul. Then Ipos kills the vessel with hellhounds, dragging both the vessel's soul and the bound angel down to Hell."

"So Ipos ties the vessel and angel together like some twisted three-legged race and then ganks them?" Dean asked. Castiel nodded. "That's a bitch," Dean said.  
"The further up the chain they go, the harder it would be to trap an angel. So in those cases these demons are killing off vessels in the bloodline one by one." Castiel turned to Alex. "You're one of the last ones left for Raziel and the strongest link to the bloodline."  
"Is that who was coming after me in 1983? Ipos?" Sam asked, starting to put things together.  
"No," Castiel said. "It was his brother, Mastema. There are two stages to their attack. First they send someone after the vessel to tempt it into the service of Hell. If the vessel refuses, Ipos steps in and finishes the task by force."  
"Hellhounds," Dean sighed.  
Castiel nodded.  
"How does he know who's loyal to who?" Sam asked.  
Castiel sighed. "There is a small group of defectors. Angels that wanted to bring on the Apocalypse; angels whose loyalties turned. They were supplying information to the demon."  
"You should be killing off your traitors," Dean tried.  
"When we find a traitor they are dealt with. It's hard to know where each angel's loyalties lie."  
"Do you know when I die?" she asked.  
"Sometime in the next week," Castiel said.  
"Don't even think about it," Dean said accusingly, pointing at Alex. "I'm not letting you die."  
"It's not like I want to."

Dean paced around the room nervously. No way he was going to watch Alex die. He dragged her into all this. There had to be another way...

"We summon her angel," Dean thought out loud. "Raziel?"  
"The angel of mysteries," Castiel explained.  
"We got plenty of those."  
"It's too risky, Dean. The effects of the blood spell make the vessel unstable. You interrupted Ipos before he was ready for Raziel, so he was forced to flee. But Alex is like a poisoned well now."  
"I'd rather not..." Alex started.  
"What happens if we kill Ipos?" Dean asked, cutting her off.  
Castiel, who'd been leaning over a chair, drew himself up. "It's not guaranteed to work."  
"But it's not guaranteed not to work," Dean pointed out. "What have we got to lose? If I'm right Ipos dies and the angels stop getting killed. I'm wrong and Alex was gonna die anyway."  
"Thanks," she said sarcastically.  
"You're not dying," Dean promised. He started gathering up ammunition and guns. He turned to Sam. "I need you to start researching omens. See where Ipos might be next."  
"I don't think you need to," Alex said. She held up the map. "They're circling around something."  
"Where are they circling around?" Dean asked.  
"Not really sure," said Alex. "Somewhere in the western Kansas/Eastern Colorado/Southern Nebraska area."  
"Next target?"  
"Not sure if I'm reading this right, but it looks like Rogers, Arkansas."  
"Great. We're going."  
"In a rush?"  
"I've got 4 days to save you and my brother," said Dean. "So yeah, I'm in a rush."  
"What about them?" Alex asked, motioning to Bobby and Ellen.  
Dean looked to the ones on the floor. "We'll need Bobby's help. Ellen's too. We need to make sure that Dad plus 2005 Sam and I stay on course to hunt Azazel. Mind helping me clean up this mess?" Dean asked Castiel.  
"As long as you don't interfere with yourselves everything should continue to unfold as you remember it," Castiel said, and then threw in, "more or less."  
"So it still happened," Sam said ruefully. "Azazel still killed our mom."  
Castiel borrowed Sam's Captain Empathy cape. "Redemption doesn't start in the past Sam. You know that. As soon as you left 1983, Azazel could proceed. I'm sorry. It happened the next night."  
Sam nodded and looked away. "Then are what are we doing here?"  
"This isn't about us," Dean said. "This is about stopping these demons from taking down vessels."  
"Yeah, OK," Sam relented. "So let's stop them."

Dean nodded.

Castiel woke up Bobby and Ellen. Dean and Sam spent the next hour convincing them to help. He asked Bobby to be the same as he ever was, to help the Winchesters figure out what they were facing. After some initial misgivings their friend agreed. Dean asked Ellen to make sure that John stayed on track. If necessary she should make sure the brothers' younger selves did too. She nodded and agreed to do what she could. Sam and Dean each gave Ellen a long hug.

"Once we check out Arkansas we'll head back to Palo Alto to scope things out," Dean said. "Cas, you want to flitter ahead to check things out?"

The angel nodded and in the blink of an eye was gone.

Dean, Sam and Alex started walking towards the Chevelle. Dean stopped, feeling himself pulled in another direction, back towards the Impala. Sam's face turned from confusion to surprise as Dean moved closer to inspect his baby. It seemed to be fine aside from needing a good wax. The car was unlocked. Dean slid his hand to the handle and opened the driver's side.

"What's this doing here?" Sam wondered.  
"I had Dean come trade it in for something else when it looked like demons were onto him," Bobby called after them. "He wasn't too happy about it."  
"I can imagine," Sam said, shocked his brother would give up the car at all.

"Well, if it's here may as well use it to, uh, keep the demons off the wrong trail," Dean said, turning his baby over. He patted the passenger seat for Sam. Sam shrugged and walked around to his usual seat in shotgun. Alex slid into the back.

They took off, peeling out of the driveway. Dean laughed and cackled and pumped his fist in victory. He had his baby back.


	8. The Angels in the Trenches

**The Angels in the Trenches.**

_Carthage, Missouri._

"Darrell was a man loved by all of his family. Now it is time to lay him to rest," the priest was saying. He faced a crowd of about 30 at the funeral. In the front row, Darrell's wife and two children cried. Behind the priest was a mahogany casket with multiple bouquets of flowers on top. Next to the priest was an easel with Darrell's smiling picture on it. The wind picked up and the flowers blew off the casket. The pages of the priest's Bible flipped by themselves. Women's scarves blew away. Loose leaves rustled along the ground in a whirlwind.

"Let us lay this man to rest, and pray that we see him again soon." The priest finished his sermon.

The funeral crowd heard a crash behind them. They turned and saw headstones toppled over. Statues snapped in two. The ground started swelling and then undulating on its own. People stood up in horror. They hugged each other for support. An arm reached out from the ground. And then another. Stone scraped against stone as a mausoleum opened. One body re-animated broke free of the ground. Then another. And another. Their color was pale and grey from lack of pumping blood but they looked otherwise human. They marched passed the funeral and towards the cemetery exit.

Darrell's wife gasped. His casket top popped up and then slid off entirely. Darrell sat up in his casket and looked around briefly. He pulled himself up and out of the casket and in his best Sunday suit marched off to join the crowd of zombies. The funeral group watched in horror. His wife ran up to him and grabbed his arm.

"...Darrell?" she asked in disbelief. He looked at her.  
"Off to war," he replied, and then looked away. He shook her arm loose.  
"What war?" she called after them. "What war?"

_Heading south on Route 71._

Dean was asleep in the passengers' seat as Sam sped along the highway. In the battle against making good time or letting someone else drive his car, time had won out. They were still at least a few hours from Arkansas. It had started raining at first. Then pouring. And then the sky almost glowed a strange red color against dark grey anvil clouds. The wind wailed against the car. Sam could barely see. Dean was mumbling in his sleep. He awoke with a start when Sam slammed on the brakes. They were pitched forward. The seatbelt caught Dean but stole his breath. He woke up choking.

"What is it?" He asked groggily. Sam didn't answer; he got out of the car. Dean peered through the windshield. Then he too got out.

Somewhere in front of them, not close yet not distant, the clouds had split. The red sky boiled through and tinged the clouds in a bloodlike color. There was a circular swirl of weather and in the middle black tendrils of cloud reached down like veins through the air. There was loud cracking like thunder but more sustained.

"What is that?" Alex asked.

"If that is what I think it is," Dean said. "Things just got a whole lot worse." He took out his phone and dialed Bobby. "Bobby! We've got a problem in Missouri."

"Yeah, well, that ain't the only hole that opened up," Bobby said knowingly. "We got one in Utah too. Ellen called a little while ago. Said something was stirring up in Minnesota. All hell's breaking loose out there. Literally."

"Have you heard from Cas?" Dean asked.  
"Nothin'," Bobby replied.

Dean cursed silently to himself. He promised to check in with Bobby again soon and hung up.

"Think they're opening gates?" Sam asked.

Dean nodded. "Getting the party started a little bit early, wouldn't you say? Cas was right, they're trying to change things."  
"Or make us think they are," Sam said. "I'm still not convinced they can start the show without us."  
"Dean, I've been trying not to ask this...but is this how things were unfolding the first time around?" Alex asked.  
"Not even close," Dean said. "And now I'm remembering more than when I first got here…different things in some cases. I was hoping to change things a bit. But these changes? They suck."  
"I was afraid you'd say that," Alex said and heaved a sigh. "What now?"  
"We keep driving," Dean said.

They kept driving. They noticed that all the cars seemed to be headed in the other direction.  
They passed semi trucks abandoned on the side of the road. They saw people walking north along the highway. As they got closer to Rogers they had to abandon the highway. State troopers were blocking the route south. Alex had a map spread across her lap, trying to find roads that might be open. They went deeper and deeper into the back country which only added time to their trip.

Finally they were near Rogers. It was eerily empty on the road. On the farms lining the road. In the town. Dean and Alex peered out the windshield and windows looking for signs of life. Nothing. They stopped at a local hospital to look around. There was no one inside. No doctors, no nurses and no patients. Supplies littered the floors. IV bags dripped onto the ground. Dean remarked it was like they'd all just walked out. He looked for signs of Croatoan. He couldn't find any.

"What's the name Castiel gave you?" Dean asked Alex.  
"Chris Valker. He's 31 and lives off Prairie Creek Drive."

They drove east on the drive until they came to the right turnoff. They ended up at a homestead near the creek. A house set in the distance was bright yellow against a steel grey sky. A screen door flapped and slammed in the breeze. Dean, Sam and Alex exited the car. A lone cow nearby mooed at them. A warning? Dean went to the trunk and pulled out a gun and a knife for himself and Alex. Sam likewise grabbed provisions, including Ruby's knife. Alex reached in and grabbed the angel-killing knife too. For good measure, she said, handing it to Dean. He tucked it next to his knife in his jacket.

"Don't let anyone get any blood on you," he warned her.  
"It's a little late for that," Alex replied with a small smile.  
"If you're scared you can wait in the car. I understand," Dean said half-jokingly.

Alex paused to think before answering. "I am scared out of my wits right now," she said quietly. "But so are you, and I'm not about to leave you two like that." She took one of the guns and a knife from Dean. Dean smiled and shut the trunk.

Sam and Dean led the way as Alex hung behind a bit. Dean caught Sam smirking to himself.

"What?" he challenged his younger brother.  
Sam smirked some more. "Nothing," he said with a shrug. Dean continued to stare until Sam added, "Just surprised you let little orphan Annie tag along."

Dean looked insulted. He looked back to make sure Alex was out of earshot. "She was in danger," he reasoned. "She feels safe when she's with me."  
"Uh-huh," Sam mocked. "No, sure. I get it. You have a thing for angel vessels. Who am I to judge?"  
"Oh, that's right," Dean snipped back. "I like 'em tall and leggy with a halo, wings and a Dad who'd really kick my ass."  
Sam chuckled.  
"I'm not the only one in this conversation who has a type, Team Demon."  
Sam stopped laughing. "Whoa, sorry. Guess I struck a nerve," he said.  
"Let's not forget I have a family now," Dean reminded Sam of Lisa and Ben, "And who put me in that situation."

Sam eyed Dean. Put him in the situation? Dean didn't sound bitter about it though.

"Guys, seriously," Alex said from behind them. She had caught up to them mid-conversation. "Let's not pretend like I didn't have a choice in the matter here."

The brothers exchanged sheepish glances.

"Besides, I kinda think your angel friend is cute," Alex said with a smirk of her own.

_Knocking on Something's Door._

The Winchesters and Alex walked slowly towards the house. They made their way up onto the porch. As they walked up the wind intensified, pushing against them so hard it nearly pushed them backwards. It tore the flapping screen right off its hinges. They watched it cross their path and fly away. Then they each leaned in and continued their walk. Dean reached back for Alex to help pull her along. They made it to the porch and installed themselves along both sides of the house's door. Dean checked the knob. The door was locked. He knocked and announced himself as FBI. Nothing. Sam checked a window. It was open. He and Dean traded hand signals. Dean would go in through the door, Sam through the window. Dean held up 3 fingers to Alex to signify the count. She nodded. He mouthed silently: 1, 2, 3! On 3 they both leaned in and kicked. The door flew open inward. It revealed an idyllic house behind it. Everything seemed to be in order. No signs of any kind of tussle inside. They walked in. No smell of sulfur. Nobody home either it seemed. Sam had made his way in through the window and similarly took in the scene. Alex walked on the south side of the room, looking for signs along the wall while Dean checked the north side. She saw the couch and two sets of bookcases. A side table with a lamp on it. She followed the shape of the lamp upwards into a mirror. She caught someone, make that something staring back at her. She whipped around and saw a man staring at her with a bat.

"Whoa!" she called out, releasing the gun to her thumb so it slid out of an aggressive possession and putting her hands up. "Are you Chris Valker?"  
"Who wants to know?" the man said, loosening his hold on the bat a bit.  
"FBI," Dean said quickly, as he and Sam flashed badges. "I'm agent Flynn; this is my partner Agent Carlin. That's special agent Hart over there."

Alex looked amused. The man sized up the trio and after a few moments decided they posed no threat, even if they were not truly agents of the law.

"Yeah, I'm Chris Valker. The police send you?" he asked.  
"That's right," Sam nodded. "We're here about a potential home invasion."  
Chris scoffed. "No, they got it wrong as usual. I called them about dogs!"  
"Dogs?" Dean asked.  
"Yeah, dogs. I've heard them for the last two or three nights, all hours. Barking, howling, they sound like wolves or something. Last night I ended up sleeping at some motel just to get away from it." Chris looked increasingly strung out with each sentence.  
"Mr. Valker," Sam asked, puppy dog eyes in full force, "have you been approached by any strange people recently?"  
"Actually, yes," he replied, sitting on the couch. Sam and Alex likewise sat in chairs across from him, while Dean kept watch out the front window.

"I was mugged about a week ago. Asshole didn't even take my money, just cut me and ran off. A couple days before that some nuthouse comes up to me outside the bar after work. Asks me if I believe in angels and demons or some crap. I tried to brush him off but he kept after me spewing all kinds of crap. It's been some week."

Sam and Alex traded looks. "Did you report any of this to the police?" Sam asked.  
"Just the dogs," Chris said. "And they just offered to send out animal control. But I guess the wires got crossed and you guys show up instead."  
"So the bat...?" Sam asked.  
Chris shifted uncomfortably. Sam motioned to Alex.  
She stepped in. "It's OK, whatever it is. We want to know all the details."  
"You're gonna think I'm nuts," Chris demurred.  
"Trust me, we've heard things most people would consider crazy," Sam said supportively.

Chris sighed. "I've been...hearing things. Voices. One voice actually. Some guy. Telling me - asking me I guess - I was ready to be a true servant of Heaven. Said someone would be coming by in the next few days to talk."

Sam and Alex just nodded. This man was a vessel after all.

"Look, I know you guys think I'm crazy," the man continued. "I just got divorced a few months ago. I lost my job. I guess I'm going through a bit of a breakdown."  
"One last question," Alex said compassionately. "You said you were cut during the mugging last week. Do you still have that cut?"  
Chris nodded, and pulled up his sleeve to reveal a deep cut in his upper arm. "Can't get the damn thing to heal."

Agents Flynn and Carlin excused themselves back out to the front porch while Agent Hart stayed inside with Valker.

"This guy's got maybe 24 hours," Dean hissed quietly to Sam.  
"Alright," Sam replied. "We get him out of town. Keep him moving until we can hunt down those demons."  
"I say we use him as bait," Dean offered. "We know they're gonna come back for him. Let's just stay here til sundown when they come back."  
"You want to face off against hellhounds?" Sam asked incredulously. "And risk getting Alex ganked too?"  
"Good point," Dean concurred, backing down. He started to say something else when Alex called to them from inside.

They burst back in the door. Chris was still on the couch but Alex had stood up, gun armed, and was looking into the mirror. Alex felt something rise in her throat and she collapsed onto all fours, dropping her gun. She felt herself choking as it seeped into her throat. She started coughing out blood. Sam motioned for Chris to run, so he did. Into the bathroom. Sam pushed a cabinet in front of it. Dean rushed to Alex's side and put himself down beside her.

"Alex!"

She pointed. Dean looked up and saw Jake smiling at them, holding his right hand in a fist. Dean stood up to face him. He was slightly horrified when he did. Behind Jake he saw a damaged pair of silhouetted angel wings. His eyes burned red like a crossroads demon. This was no crossroads demon though.

"Ipos," he guessed coldly.  
"Close. Ipos isn't here right now. He's busy slaughtering vessels. If you'd like I can deliver a message to him. Or you could deliver it yourself."  
"You can give him a message for me when I send you all back to hell," Dean growled. "Tell all your demon friends this ends badly for them."

"I don't think so Dean. Everything is going according to plan for us. Every vessel we needed to kill? Dying. Every angel we hoped to see fall? Falling; sometimes willingly joining us. We're building an army in Hell that Heaven can't stop. Even you and your brother are playing your parts. You couldn't resist trying to help your family, could you? Neither could your brother. From what I hear the two of you refused to be vessels to your proper archangels the first time around. But so what? There were other possibilities. All it took was a little tap of the reset button. And of course, for you two to free yourselves from the path you'd been set on. Now there will be another who can host Lucifer. Michael will be stuck in Heaven like a sitting duck. "

"You're lying," Sam growled from not too far away.  
"Oh, hello Sam," the demon said. "Nice to see you again. You probably don't recognize me but we're old friends now, aren't we? Tell me, when you waited with your family, did Azazel ever show up?" He paused. "I'm going to guess no."  
"Mastema," Sam said.  
The demon nodded. "My offer still stands, Sam. Now that you don't have to bear Lucifer's weight on your shoulders, why don't you step into a more appropriate role?"

Behind them, Alex tried to speak through the blood congesting in her throat. She gasped for air.

"Only my brother is Lucifer's true vessel. Lucifer himself said so," Dean said defiantly.

"It was always a test. Your brother was the last one left. He would have avoided that fate if you'd let him die. But you brought him back and he killed the army boy. His name was Jake, wasn't it? When he was the last one standing he became Lucifer's vessel. You shoulder the responsibility for that fate. Not now though. Someone else from that group will ascend rightfully to be Lucifer's vessel. You Winchesters will no longer matter."

Dean boiled with anger. He had started this whole mess. He would still be the one to end it.

"You wanted to see your brother again. Who am I to deny one last happy family moment? Give me this vessel and the one that came with you and I'll spare you for the time being," the demon proposed.  
"I don't think so," Dean replied.  
"Don't you recognize this girl Dean?" the demon asked. "Or are you still trying to bury your memories of hell? It was a righteous man who broke the first seal by torturing. That would be you. Don't you remember who it was that was on Alistair's table? Let me take her now. You avoid your fate as the man who led to Lucifer being free."

Dean searched his memories. Alex? Had she been the one he'd tortured? He pulled out his gun. "Sorry," he said. "I don't deal with demons."  
"If you really think that's going to stop me, then you Winchesters are dumber than I thought."

Sam took shots at it but they had no effect, either from rock salt or true bullets. He threw the gun down and launched himself at Mastema. The demon fell back but quickly pulled Sam off, sending him across the room. Sam picked himself up quickly. Dean looked above the demon. He shot the ceiling, freeing the dining room chandelier. The demon ducked to avoid it as it came crashing down. Dean used the time to push a bookcase back towards the demon, knocking him over. It broke the concentration on Alex, who stopped spitting blood for a moment.

"Dean, both knives," she said. "Use both knives. Same time."

Sam pushed his knife over to him. Dean grabbed it and took out the scimitar out of his jacket. He launched himself over the bookcase and plowed both knives down into the demon's chest. A bright light emerged first. They all shielded their eyes. Then it condensed into a stream right above the knives before erupting out like a wave in a black cloud of smoke. The ground shook as the demon died.

Alex had fallen on her back. Dean ran over and helped her back over. She spat out the last of the blood. Her mouth was a red mess.

"How did you know?" Dean asked.  
"I heard someone telling me," she said. "That thing - it was a fallen angel turned demon. There are more like him."  
Dean nodded. "Can you stand? We should get out of here."

With Dean's help, Alex picked herself up.

Sam pushed the cabinet aside from the bathroom and let Chris out. Wide-eyed, the civilian inspected the scene.

"Listen to me carefully," Sam said. "Do you have a car?"  
Chris nodded.  
"Good. Get in it. Drive. Don't stop. Make sure you stay in a different place every night for the next week. If you hear dogs coming after you, leave immediately. If you know anyone with a bunker, it would be the safest place to stay," Sam told him.

Chris nodded again, and then caught sight of the dead demon's rapidly cooling corpse. He grabbed his keys off a rack by the front door and ran outside. A short while later a car started and peeled off.

"Not the most elegant debriefing ever," Dean chastised his brother.  
"Better he just keeps moving for now," Sam defended himself.  
"We have goofer dust in the trunk you know," Dean continued, unable to let it go.  
Sam bitchfaced. He hadn't thought of that. He turned his attention to Alex. "You OK?"

She shook her head. Sam offered his arms, and then picked her up into them to carry her back to the car. He deposited her in the backseat and then got into the front.

Dean languished behind. He paused at the trunk and looked skyward. "All this and still you refuse to help?" He asked out loud. There was no answer, not that he was expecting one. He got into the driver's seat and started the drive west.

_Following the yellow brick road._

Back in their rightful car and in their rightful seats, Dean and Sam sped along the highway. Sam turned backwards to check on Alex, who was asleep in the back. Her skin was pale and she seemed strung out, muttering a bit in her sleep. She was shivering so Sam tucked one of Dean's plaid overshirts across her.

"Think Mastema was telling the truth?" Sam wondered out loud. "About Lucifer finding other vessels?"  
"I don't know," Dean replied. "Only one way to find out though. We have to get to Palo Alto."  
"Any word from Cas?" Sam asked.  
Dean shook his head no, just as his phone rang. "Speak of the angel." He passed his phone to Sam.  
"Hello?" Sam said. "Cas?"  
"No ya idjit," Bobby said from the other end. "It's the tooth fairy."  
"Hey Bobby," Sam said apologetically. He filled Bobby in on the day's events. Then: "Find out anything?"  
"I got a couple of nuggets you might like," Bobby offered. "The vessels that Ipos and Mastema are taking down? They're doing it as part of a ritual. The last step is raising up their big boss, Semiazas through his own special gate from Hell. Sound like anyone else you know?"  
"Lucifer," Sam muttered.  
"Other thing is there's a set of knives specifically designed to take these half-angel half-demons down," Bobby continued. "So you don't have to double-fist like you did today. One of them is part of a special exhibition at the Cantor Arts Center."  
"Perfect," Sam said. "Thanks Bobby."

Dean waited expectantly as his brother hung up.

"Bobby found a weapon we can use. It's on the Stanford campus."  
"All the more reason to get out there as quickly as possible."

Alex woke up behind them, startled. She sat up quickly and within seconds Castiel had appeared next to her.

"Where have you been?" Dean asked pointedly.  
Any animosity was lost on the angel. "Sam has left Palo Alto," he announced. "With Dean."  
Sam and Dean traded looks. "Well, at least something's going according to plan," Dean tried to make light of the situation. He couldn't imagine what his brother was feeling at that moment though.  
"Yeah," Sam said, stone-faced.  
"It also means we have less time to break the blood spell on you," Dean said to Alex.  
"It doesn't matter," she retorted.  
"I'm thinkin' it does," Dean snapped. "Don't you go all martyr on me now. I got that role covered."  
"If Sam truly has affected the way events are unfolding then he might be safe," Castiel finally offered. "But it's also likely that Lucifer and his minions will have moved on to other options."  
"So someone else might be running around getting ready for Lucifer to wear them to the prom?" Sam asked, stealing Dean's terminology.  
Castiel nodded. Sam shot a knowing look to Dean.  
"No way. Not happening," Dean said.  
"We don't know for sure," Castiel said. "We won't know how things are playing out until after tonight."  
"I'll start checking the omens," Sam offered, grabbing Alex's computer.  
"Pack it up," Dean said. "Let's check you off the list of options first."

_Dot combustible valley._

Metallicar rumbled down into the valley. Dean was driving. Sam was riding shotgun, clicking away on Alex's computer. It was slow going though.

"Not as easy to find Wifi here," Sam noted.

Dean called Bobby to check on movement. Bobby noted that a fresh pack of omens had popped up just east of Palo Alto about 12 hours earlier and seemed to be moving west. Though none of them relished confronting the yellow-eyed demon all the signs seemed to be adding up.

They stopped only for brief bathroom breaks. Sam and Dean took turns driving so as not to lose additional time. Alex was in the backseat, trying to unstick a green army man from one of the ash trays. It was pretty well stuck in there. Her strength was low so she wasn't putting up much resistance anyway.

They made it to Palo Alto mid-evening on the night of Jess's death. The Winchesters decided their best option was to stake out Sam's apartment and be ready to pounce when the demon showed up. They weren't sure exactly what time the demon would show so they parked across the street, where the view was clear through the trees. Dean called Castiel to let him know they'd arrived. The angel was checking things out downtown but would meet them soon. It was quiet for a little while as they observed trick or treaters. But there didn't seem to be much else going on. Castiel materialized next to Alex in the backseat. She was still shivering. He layered his trench on top of Dean's shirt. She thanked him weakly. Castiel gave his report. Nothing doing downtown. The quartet waited.

Sam suddenly started chuckling. He wheeled around to Alex.

"Remember when you knocked on my door pretending to be pregnant so you could meet up with Dean? He asked between laughs. "I was so tripped out by the thought of Dean being a Dad!"  
Alex looked confused. "Wait, how do you remember that?" She looked to Dean. "I thought you...wasn't that a new trick?" She asked suspiciously.  
"Sam," Dean said. "That's not the way it originally went."  
"No, come on." Sam was still chortling. "This girl comes knocking on my door one night saying that you two hooked up and begging me to call you and you expect me not to remember that?"

Alex looked perturbed. Dean was worried.

"It's happening," Castiel said. The other three looked to the angel. "Your memories are being rewritten. The actions you've taken this time around are starting to converge with your previous selves."

"What about alternate realities? Paradox? That kind of thing?" Alex asked.  
"Sam and Dean are still in this timeline. As long as they stay here time and space will try to reconcile them with whatever this plane dictates."  
"What's something else that changed?" Dean asked hurriedly.  
Sam thought. "Do you remember showing a book you'd drawn to a guy who looked a lot like me when you were eight? A book about ghost hunting?"  
Dean smiled. "Yeah, of course. The Winchester Family Business." And then the smile disappeared. "That was you, wasn't it?"

Sam nodded. The brothers both leaned back into their seats, staring straight ahead. This was not good news. Castiel chose that moment to recap what he'd been up to since materializing in California.

Castiel made plans to meet up with the trio in the morning and then fluttered away. Sam, Dean and Alex continued to wait. A little while later it was Dean's turn to laugh.

"What?" Sam asked, smirking. Dean turned back to Alex.  
"I just remembered something. You're not too bad yourself," he said to her. Then he threw her a sly smile. He had inherited the memories of their night together.  
Alex looked bemused in return. "Dean," she warned.  
"We got a couple hours to kill, if you want..."  
"Dean," Alex said again, smile fading.  
"I'm just saying, Sam could..."  
"Dean!" Alex turned upset.

Dean gave up and turned back around in the seat. Sam just shook his head.

More waiting. After a while, a car pulled up behind them. They ducked. A couple got out and walked past a few cars away. False alarm.

From the backseat, Alex started to shake again. "Guys," she said.  
They both turned around.  
"I hear something."  
"Angel radio something?" Dean asked.  
"No," she replied. "Dogs."  
"Not good," Sam said. He checked his watch. "It's still early," he offered to Dean.

Then Sam sniffed. He smelled something. Smoke. They all popped out of the car. They were looking to the apartment building but all was well in that direction. The smoke was coming from a few streets over. They ran that way. And about 4 blocks over they were faced with a scene that was all too familiar to Sam and Dean. A different apartment was engulfed by flames. Fire trucks, ambulances and cop cars were on-scene. Sam asked someone in the crowd what had happened. His heart sank in hearing the explanation. About an hour before the house had just burst into flames. A couple lived there. The man was working late. His wife was inside the home when the fire broke out. She had died. They'd been at the wrong house.

"Things just got about 15 times weirder," Dean said to Sam, who nodded.

They needed to talk this all through. They needed to figure out what it meant. They needed coffee. There was a diner just a few more blocks over so the three of them headed that way. Alex seemed to drift behind a bit. She kept checking behind them. Dean noticed and slowed to let her catch up.

"Don't think we're being tailed right now," he said to Alex, who looked back one more time and then settled into stride.

They entered the diner and grabbed a booth. They asked for a pot of coffee and sleepily tipped the cups they had on the table right-side up.

A little while later, Sam opened Alex's laptop and started looking into the couple. Dean asked Alex if she heard anything and she shook her head no. He put his face in his hands.

"Doesn't make sense, Sam," he said. "Think they got the address messed up?"  
"Doubtful," Sam said between clicks. "If Cas was right then they're prepping other possible hosts for Lucifer. The guy is Kevin Downs, 23. Right age. He's a grad student. And get this..." Sam swung the laptop around. "His mom died in a house fire. He was 6 months old when it happened."  
Dean scanned the newspaper article Sam had pulled up. "Any siblings?" he asked.  
"No. Only child."  
"Doesn't fit the Michael/Luci pattern."  
"Maybe it doesn't have to," Sam conjectured. "We're brothers, and Lucifer and Michael are brothers, but nothing says the vessels have to be brothers."  
"Or dudes," Dean said. Sam furrowed his brow. "What?" Dean asked. "Just saying."  
"So," Sam continued, "there could be who knows how many possible prom dresses running around there for Lucifer to choose from."  
"And we got no idea who they are, where they are or when this is all gonna go down," Dean concluded.  
"They're removing us from the equation, more or less," Sam agreed.  
"No they're not," Alex piped up. "They're trying to force your desperation. What's the only thing that would be worse than you two being the keys to starting and stopping the Apocalypse?"  
Sam and Dean thought for a moment. "Not being involved at all," Sam concluded.  
"You guys are maybe the only two human beings who know what's supposed to happen here. But they can't find you. So they're flipping everything on its head to draw you out," Alex thought out loud.  
"Then why bring us back at all? What is so damn important back here?" Dean asked, exasperated.

Sam and Dean continued rattling off options. Should they call their Dad? Check to see if any vessels were in the city? They vacillated for a bit until Alex suddenly dropped her coffee cup, shattering it and sending hot liquid flying. The boys ducked back for a moment and then grabbed their napkins to start wiping it up.

"They're coming," Alex said, "I can hear them."  
Dean stopped cleaning. "Hellhounds?" he asked.

She nodded. Dean and Sam traded a quick look. Sam slammed the laptop closed and quickly shoved it into his bag. Dean grabbed Alex by the arm and the three of them ran out just as one of the back windows of the diner smashed inwards. They ran through the parking lot and over onto the next street. Dean whipped out his gun and shot backwards towards invisible targets. It didn't do any good. They ran to where the Impala had been parked. It was gone.

"Sonofabitch!" Dean cried in frustration.  
"Dean," Sam called from car not too far away. It was a late-model sedan. Someone had left the keys inside. Dean helped Alex over. They jumped in and sped off.  
"Do we have anything left? Any provisions at all?" Dean asked frantically.  
Sam poked through his bag. "Uh, two guns, shots, Ruby's knife, and some goofer dust."  
Dean nodded. "We need holy ground. Now."  
"There's a church on Middlefield. Two minutes away!" Sam said, watching the side rearview mirror. Not that it mattered since they could not see the dogs.  
Alex was gasping for air in the back.  
"Maybe they'll get caught up at the tolls," Dean said.

They raced around corners and over sidewalks to make better time.

"Line the doors with some goofer dust and then meet me inside," he said to Sam as they pulled up in front of the church.

Sam nodded and practically opened the door before they stopped. Dean drove right onto the curb and slammed the brakes. He got out and threw open the back door, pulling Alex out of the car.

"It's covered in Devil's Traps," Alex noted as Dean led her up the stairs.  
"Might not matter if that half-angel half-demon things shows up," Dean replied.

He kicked the church door in and stumbled inside. He found stairs going up and down and, after a moment of consideration, decided on up. They raced up 3 flights and settled on one of the rooms overlooking the main hall. He closed all the doors and locked them. There was a window inside but he didn't think the dogs would be flying up to break in. Alex set herself down on a pew as Dean called down to his brother. Sam raced in with two shotguns, Ruby's knife and the goofer dust. The brothers shut the door and locked it. Sam lined the doorway with the dust, then raced over to the window for good measure.

Dean grabbed his cellphone from his jacket pocket and quickly dialed Castiel. The phone rang but dumped Dean into voicemail. "Dammit!" Dean said and hung up.

A hellhound barked from outside the room, blowing the dust as it sniffed under the door.

"They know I'm here," Alex replied. "They'll kill you to get to me."  
"They can't get in," Dean said. "We just gotta hang tight."

The hellhound outside started launching itself against the door, trying to break in. Sam backed away and brought his gun to the ready. Then they heard scratching at the wall. Another dog trying to claw its way in.

"It's not worth your lives too," Alex said. "You need to be the ones to stop it. You need to let me go."  
"This is what we do!" Dean insisted.  
"And how well has that worked out? Sacrificing yourselves at every turn? How many times are you guys going to have to die before you realize that's not the answer?" she said, from somewhere outside herself.

Dean was quieted. He was frustrated and angry; she was right. He reached to his neck and took off his amulet. He put it around her neck.

"Just let me get them away from here," Alex said.  
"We'll get you out of there," Dean promised.  
"If there's a way, I know you guys will find it."

Alex and Dean leaned into each other for a quick hug. Then she got up slowly. Sam handed her a knife.

"Sam, you guys take care of each other. You hear me?"  
He nodded at her. Then he grabbed the lock on the door. He cocked his gun; Dean did the same.  
"Let us stall for you," Sam said.  
Alex nodded. Dean nodded that he was ready too.

Sam swung the door open with one tug of his gigantic arms. Dean immediately started shooting, and one of the hellhounds wailed. Sam joined in, advancing into the hallway to shoot down the stairs. They emptied their entire first rounds. It was time for Alex to go. She looked to each of them briefly in thanks and then ran out. They heard her fly down the stairs and then, a few seconds later the barking as the remaining hellhounds gave chase. Not too long after that the front door of the church opened and then slammed shut.

It went quiet in the church storage room. It was an eerie silence Sam and Dean knew all too well.

The Winchesters were tracking Alex so they could find her body. She needed to be buried. It was a surprise how far she'd made it. They followed a slight trail of blood into Eleanor Pardee Park. There was a small cluster of old trees. They found Alex underneath one, face-down. As was always the case with hellhounds she was torn to shreds. Sam winced at the sight but Dean couldn't hold it in any longer. He doubled over to compose himself. Sam picked the body up. He noticed the amulet was gone. He didn't mention it.

"There's a huge open space park north of here," Sam said. "We should take her there." Dean just nodded.

A few hours later it was done. Sam was calling Bobby and Dean was staring off into space. Castiel re-appeared and strode up beside him.

"I'm sorry," the angel opened.  
"I take it you can't just go in there and pluck her back out," Dean said by way of acknowledgment.  
Castiel watched Dean's face for any emotion, but saw none. "The blood spell isn't broken yet. Now we need to kill Ipos."  
"I thought you said..."  
"If she were still alive he would have tortured her. It might have broken you." Castiel cut him off.  
"God, you are such a dick sometimes!" Dean said, exasperated. "So instead she rots down in hell? And where was she for the past five years in the life I knew?"  
"Missing," Castiel said forcefully. "Lost. Unrecoverable. If you don't think you've made a difference you're wrong."  
Dean refused to believe he'd been any help. Sam joined the duo.  
"Bobby says word through the grapevine is that there's a whole group of demons holed up in Goodland. I think that might be the center of all of this."  
"I know you want to help Alex. This is the way," Castiel said. And then he was gone.

The boys silently got into the car. Dean checked the time. Well into the morning. Curiosity getting the best of him, he drove back to Sam's old apartment. They saw the flames before they saw what was left of Sam's apartment. The sirens, the crowd. To everyone else it was the odd second fire on a strange night. To Sam and Dean, it was a sad realization. The fire had still happened. Just a few hours later than they remembered. The brothers slowly exited the car.

"I can't believe this," Sam said slowly. "We were here. We were waiting…"  
"You know we get the demon who did this," Dean cut him off, realizing that the major details of their lives were still the same. "It's like Cas says, you can't change the past."  
"So what? Mom still died? We didn't change a damn thing," Sam said, exasperated.  
"Cas said an angel brought us back, right? There must be one hell of a thing we still have to fix," Dean said, coaching his younger brother.  
Sam, eyes still on the fire, just nodded. Then he reached into his coat where the Colt was neatly tucked away. He pulled it out.  
"As long as I have this, Dad won't find it," Sam said.  
"It took us awhile to find it," Dean argued gently. "Guess now we know why."

The brothers were silent for a minute or two.

"We should get that knife Bobby told us about," Sam said after awhile.  
Dean was pleased by that idea. After everything Sam was still ready to move forward. He was too. "Yeah, maybe grab a couple hours sleep and try to get it before morning."  
Sam nodded. Then he saw something. He elbowed Dean. "Look," he said, motioning past the crowd. "They grabbed the Impala back."

Dean followed Sam's eyes, though he couldn't see over the crowd as well. He spotted the Impala. Then he saw himself and Sam making their way towards it. Dean popped the trunk. He and Sam spoke briefly and then got into their rightful seats of their rightful car. The Impala sped off. Dean and Sam knew what they'd said - we got work to do.

"What they said," Dean said to Sam.  
Sam nodded again. "No time like the present."


	9. A Little Less Conversation, Part 1

**A Little Less Conversation, Part 1.**

_Goodland, Kansas._  
_The Night Of. _

Three friends were in the cemetery. Two young men and a woman. College-aged. They had flashlights and candles with them, plus one of the boys carried a bag filled with bones, plants and a few special trinkets while the other toted a shovel. The girl carried a book.

"This is a really bad idea, Brad," the woman said.  
"Relax, Jen," the man replied. "You said you wanted to do something different. So we are."  
"Brian," she whimpered to her boyfriend, the third member of the group.  
"Come on dude...you're freaking her out."

Brad stopped and turned, spinning the shovel for good effect. He shook his head in dismay at Brian. "Man up," he said.

Brian bristled. He took Jen's hand and they continued walking. They stopped at an obelisk. Brad looked back at his friends and snickered. They shot him looks back to grow up. Brad turned west and then stopped at his final destination. A statue of a woman looking down. There was a dry trail of brown down from the eyes. Blood.

"Whose grave is this?" Brian asked.  
"It's not a grave. It's a marker," Brad replied. "It marks an entrance."  
"An entrance to what?" Jen asked.

Brad didn't answer. Instead he started digging. He dug a small circular hole in front of the statue. He motioned to Brian for his bag. Brian opened it and took out the hex bag, a chalice and a knife. Brad emptied its contents into the hole. Then he lit a match and set it on fire. The flames erupted immediately. Much higher than normal. He looked to Brian and Jen through the flame, the fire reflected in his eyes.

"Read," he ordered Jen.

She flipped open the book to the marked page and slowly began reading the Latin. She had 2 years of the language under her belt but struggled with some of the words. Brad was annoyed. He picked up the chalice, walked over and shot Jen a dirty look as she cowered away. He motioned for her to go on. She kept reading. Brad turned his attention to Brian. He walked up to the boy as Brian drew to his full height. In one fell swoop Brad slashed across Brian's throat. He gurgled and dripped blood into the chalice. Jen screamed, dropped the book, and started to run. Brian's body fell to the ground. Brad's eyes rolled into the back of his head and when they re-emerged they were black. Beetle black.

Jen ran down the cemetery road screaming. Tears streamed down her face as her mind raced and panic set in. She turned to look back - no one was chasing her. She turned back, right as she slammed into a remarkably board chest. Sam's. She looked up at him and screamed.

"Whoa, just chill," Dean, who was just off to Sam's right, said.  
"We're not going to hurt you," Sam said, with puppy eyes in full effect. "We're here to help."

The girl, still in tears, nodded. She started blabbering incoherently. Dean and Sam struggled to calm her down.

"The man that brought you here. Where is he?" Dean asked.

The girl turned back to the direction she'd run from. Sam and Dean looked over her, trying to make out the demon. It was hard to tell if Ipos was done with the ritual or not. There was one way to find out.

_Dot combustible valley._  
_The day before._

In a revelation that surprised neither Sam nor Dean, the knife they'd hoped to grab from the Cantor Arts exhibit was missing. They called Bobby. He was trying to find another one of the knives from the set. There was nowhere to go until then. Too tired to consider beer safe they were commiserating over root beers. They leaned on the hood of their late model sedan in Bayfront Park in the late morning sun. Sam was silently smoldering. Dean was silently seething. They were both tired. They were both angry. Time changed some things. Just not everything.

Dean held up his root beer. "Cheers to destiny kicking us in the ass one more time," he said. Sam grumped and clinked his glass root beer bottle to that. They each took a long swig.

"Alex was right. The demons were just distracting us. We got fooled on both counts. We didn't save Jess and we didn't save her," Sam said. "Because of destiny." Sam waved his arms dismissively.

Dean peered into his bottle. It was just root beer - right? "This isn't over," he promised.  
"I know, Dean," Sam sighed. "It never is."

They were silent for a few minutes. They each finished one root beer and popped open another. Time, time, time. Wasting away.

"I still can't shake this feeling," Sam said halfway through the second bottle. "Like Cas wasn't telling us something."  
"Feeling like one too many burritos pit of your stomach feeling?" Dean asked, drawing to attention. "Or cracked-out yellow eyed demon psychic feeling?"  
Sam noted the alarmed look on Dean's face. "More like a second act of a bad mystery cruise feeling," he cracked. Dean mugged at him. "I don't know. It's just based on knowing Cas...and how badly he lies," Sam said.

Dean relaxed a bit. No psychic stuff, thank god. He agreed with Sam's assessment. Castiel was being oddly vague about things, playing a bit too much like he didn't know anything. Weren't angels supposed to be the seers? Dean avoided raising the issue in front of Alex. It would have been another thing for her to be scared about. Now that she was gone...Dean decided he'd bring it up the next time Castiel appeared.

And like clockwork Castiel chose that moment to reappear. He materialized several feet away from Dean and Sam. Castiel looked around for them, and spotting neither the Impala nor the Chevelle, he seemed confused. Dean whistled and waved to draw the angel's attention. Castiel ran towards them. His haste was duly noted by the Winchesters. As their friend drew near Dean noticed cuts on Castiel's face. They were healing quickly but they were there, and noticeable.

"You OK Cas? You look like you were on the wrong side of a cheese grater," Dean asked.  
Castiel nodded, leaning over to catch his breath. "I was in Pontiac. Checking on my vessel," he said.  
"Jimmy?" Sam asked. "Everything alright?"  
"He's fine," Castiel said as he recovered. He stood back up fully and saw the concerned looks on Dean and Sam's faces. "They have rose bushes," he explained.  
"Peeping Cas!" Dean laughed. "That's gotta be some kind of sin."

Sam cleared his throat meaningfully and Dean settled down.

"How'd you find us?" Dean asked.  
"I called Bobby," Castiel answered. "He's going to meet up with us soon. Ipos, he's going to try to raise Semiazas. They've collected enough angels to perform the ritual to bring Semiazas to Earth."  
"We didn't find the knife," Sam began cautiously. "Do you know where it is?"

Castiel scanned the parking lot. Dean and Sam did likewise, unsure of what they were looking for.

"We can't talk here," Castiel said, and tapped them on the forehead. The trio vanished, leaving two root beers and a late model sedan behind.

_Heavenly meet up spot._

Sam noticed a single streak of light pouring into the room. It smelled dingy. Musty. Old. He knew it right away.

"Where are we?" Dean called out from the shadows.  
"Salina," Sam replied. "The meeting spot."  
"The where?" Dean asked again, stepping into the light.

The door slid open and Castiel walked in. Dean and Sam noticed one palm was bloody. The other hand held a stick. He slid the door mostly closed and used the remaining light to sketch a symbol into the ground. Then he closed the door the rest of the way. The bunker became dark again. Castiel walked across the dirt floor, found a large candle and an old oil lamp. He lit both. He brought them to the center of the room and placed the candle on an old wooden table in the center. He handed the lamp to Sam, who hung it from a hook sticking out of the wall. The bunker glowed in low yellow tones.

"What is this place?" Dean asked.  
"A haven. A safe spot for angels. No one can see us in here. Hopefully we weren't followed," Castiel said.  
"Demons?" Sam asked for clarification.  
Castiel shook his head no. "Other angels."  
"What's going on Cas? You've been harder to pin down than a frat boy on a pub crawl." Dean tried to tread lightly with his close friend.  
"I found the angel that pulled you and Sam back here." Castiel announced. "It was Raziel herself."  
"Alex's angel?" Dean asked. Castiel nodded. "But we didn't do what she wanted - Alex still died."  
"I think we all know that when Heaven has a task for you, death means little." Castiel explained. "She is working on that task as we speak."  
"In Hell?" Sam asked, eyes wide.  
Castiel confirmed it and leaned back. "Dean, do you remember when I asked to borrow your amulet? To look for God?"

Dean nodded.

"When I couldn't find God, there was another angel to turn to. Raziel. But what I found was only a shell of the angel. She's been in hiding for who knows how long, away from the traitorous group of angels. When she saw what you two did in the Apocalypse she saw a chance to escape. So she brought you back here to help free her. And if we can help her, she can help you." Castiel searched Dean and Sam for their reactions. Their faces were both blank. Dean's twisted in confusion.

"Help with what? The Apocalypse is over," Dean said dismissively.  
"There are factions of demons rising; the likes of which you have never faced before," Castiel retorted. "Heaven is a mess. And Lucifer is trying to break back out."  
Dean shook his head. "Sam left him locked down in his cage," he said of Lucifer.  
"With a temporary patch, Dean," Sam said warningly. "Who knows how long it will hold."  
"She is the angel of mysteries," Castiel reminded them. "And she sees things the rest of us cannot. She knows of a weapon that can stop Semiazas. And perhaps, of one that can stop Lucifer from breaking back out."  
"Angels are after her? And are they after you?" Sam's voice held tremendous concern.  
"I can hold them off," Castiel said toughly.

Dean folded his arms. Sam digested.

"How do we help her now?" Sam asked.  
"We have to kill Ipos," Castiel urged. "And then Semiazas. It won't happen all at once. The knife will work on Ipos. It won't work on his leader."  
"They'll know we're coming," Sam argued. "They've known every step we've taken so far - maybe they followed us back here from the future."  
"Demons can't travel through time like angels can," Castiel retorted. "Only Lucifer would have been able to warn them. And I don't think he knows what Semiazas is doing. Lucifer's main focus is still Azazel right now. With Lilith close behind."  
"So how did they..." Sam started to ask how the demons knew the actions he and Dean would take.  
"Alex," Dean said. "They were listening through Alex. It was part of the blood spell."  
Castiel nodded again. "It was why I couldn't tell you more earlier."

"Then why shoot me all the way back to 1983?" Sam wondered. "What was so important back there, besides our family?"  
The angel frowned. "You had the unfortunate distinction of being able to distract Mastema. When he spotted you out of time sync, it distracted him from his original target." Castiel paused. "And that's who has the knife now."  
"Well, we're all just one big, happy, damned vessel family," Dean snarked.  
"She doesn't know that she's a vessel Dean, and you can't tell her," Castiel warned. "It could have serious implications down the line."  
"What's the weapon Raziel knows about?" Sam asked, changing the subject slightly.  
"I'm not familiar," Castiel demurred. "But it has something to do with the Colt."

Dean stood up and paced. "The Colt? Some good that did!" He half-yelled. "Great. We've got quite the arsenal. A knife that can kill some demons and not others - now new and improved! A gun that takes down certain demons in one shot and barely scrapes others. I am so sick of these damn riddles." He tossed over a table angrily.

"Were it that one weapon trumped them all," Castiel said, "We'd be in a less safe world."

Dean shot him an angry look but clammed up as the angel stared him down.

"Who has the knife, Cas?" Sam asked. Castiel told him. "You're kidding," Sam gasped.

_Home sweet home._

Castiel had told Bobby to meet them in Salina. He arrived driving the Chevelle Dean had boosted a few weeks before.

"It ain't your car, I know," Bobby had said. "But for what it's worth, your 2005 self is glad to have the Impala back."

Dean understood. "I'd be thanking you too; I mean, I guess I did." The conundrum overtook him. Bobby was muttering something about damn time travel bullshit to himself.

Dean and Sam headed East to Lawrence while Castiel took care of getting Bobby back to South Dakota. The angel hadn't revealed who he was holding off. The brothers agreed they had to be prepared to fight anything. Demons. Angels. Whatever. Sam was also worried that Castiel was in trouble himself. He clued Dean in to his last meeting spot visit, during which Castiel admitted to not seeing the future clearly. Dean thought it meant the future was changing. Sam was afraid it meant Castiel was going to die.

The Winchesters, upon first re-uniting, gave each other quick updates of what had happened since the showdown in Stull Cemetery. Sam still had plenty of questions though. A long car ride seemed like as good a time as any to get a few of those questions out of the way.

"You starting to remember anything else?" Sam asked Dean.  
"Maybe a few things," Dean admitted.  
"What's the last thing you remember?" Sam asked. "Before you ended up in some crater with a tree in 2005?"  
Dean pondered it. "Apple pie," he said with a slight smile. "Lisa was giving me a slice of apple pie."  
Sam smiled. "So you did go back to her."  
"Yeah," Dean grunted. "But I didn't stay long."  
"Why not?" His brother asked.  
"It wasn't safe. Wasn't long before I started hearing bumps in the night. I went there full-on planning to give up hunting. But hunting wasn't ready to let go of me." Dean sounded remorseful.  
"Are they OK? Lisa and Ben?"  
"They're fine," Dean assured Sam. "I sent them somewhere safe. It was a mistake to think I could live that life though. Not with them. They don't know the life - I don't want them to know the life. So I just visit sometimes. To check up on them."  
"I'm sorry, Dean," Sam said, and meant it.

"What about you?" Dean changed the subject.  
"Honestly? I remember feeling my hand squeeze in a way I wasn't controlling and watching Cas splatter in a million directions. I remember...staring into the backseat of the Impala. I remember falling. And then...not much. Not a damn thing really. It was like I was asleep or something. When I woke up, I was in Kansas. In '83."  
"Well, lucky for you," Dean said, knowing all too well that it wasn't.

"Dean, you didn't get me out of there, did you?" Sam asked. His brother shot him a dirty look, which Sam returned in kind.  
"No!" Dean insisted. "You made me promise not to, remember? Or was that part of your eternal sunshine of the Lucifer mindwipe too? I did what you told me. I gave up hunting for as long as I could. I tried the family deal. I…" he trailed off. He tried to forget about Sam, he thought to himself.  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Sam pried.  
"Absolutely not!" Dean said, too fast and too loud.  
"No, of course not, because that would indicate emotions and I should know by now that you only have two: mad and not as mad!" Sam replied, exasperated. He crossed his arms in the passenger seat as an epic bitchface settled in. He turned to look out the window. So much for a happy reunion.

"What do you want, Sam? Want us to hold each other and tell our deep, dark secrets? Then trust fall into each others' arms? Maybe read some poetry to each other? Cause I don't need any of that touchy feely kumbaya crap. I never wanted you to land in that cage. I never wanted you to say Yes. I've spent every day since you fell in wondering how I could be such a terrible brother. How I could let you do that. You being back? It's like a miracle. One I don't think I deserve. So I don't want to talk about it. Because I'm afraid this might all go away if I even acknowledge it," Dean said, his voice cracking ever-so-slightly at the end.

Sam didn't reply.

"Come on man, I don't want to argue about this," Dean relented after a couple of minutes in silence. "We each got our own kind of therapy. This is mine - us, together, out on the road."

Sam still didn't reply. Dean shook his head. He fiddled with the radio, until it settled upon REM's "Everybody Hurts." Dean wasn't a fan of the band but everyone knew the words to it. Sam was still staring out the window, angry at everything. Dean started singing to him - off-key and with more than a touch of smarm.

"When you're sure had enough of this life...well hang on..." Dean crooned.  
"Dean, stop," Sam begged.  
"Don't let yourself gooooo...cause everybody cries...come on, you eat this shit up, don't you?" Dean teased. Dean couldn't hear Sam's reply but he was sure it was pure asshattery.  
"Everybody hurrrrrtttsss, sometimes," Dean sang.

Sam leaned in and flipped the radio off. Dean pretended to be disappointed. Then after another minute he laughed.

"Come on, pookie, for me?" Dean joked, putting on a frowny face. Sam finally cracked.

Even though he was still looking away Dean knew he was laughing. "Maybe Cas will want to share a couch with you later. You two can have your chicken soup for the soul crap," Dean promised.  
"Sounds great," Sam snarked with a smile.

A few hours later, they pulled up in front of the house. Dean faintly remembered it from his childhood but for Sam it held many more memories, recently made but further back in time. Dean had offered to stop so they could pick up suits, or uniforms, or some kind of disguises. Sam had refused. He said they wouldn't need them. He asked Dean to follow his lead. Dean was leery of letting his little brother take charge. But he trusted Sam, so he relented temporarily.

Sam and Dean walked up the front walk and knocked on the door. Castiel had said this was the place.

Joey Woodson answered the door. She looked slightly older than when Sam had last seen her, but still looked great. A confused look on her face gave way to one of excitement. Though the screen still stood between them she opened the house door all the way.

"Sam?" she asked excitedly. "Is that you?"  
"Joey," Sam said with a wide smile. "Long time no see."

Joey opened the screen and came out onto the porch. She threw her arms around Sam in a hug. He folded her into his own giant arms. Dean cocked an eyebrow upon spying a gun holstered to Joey's waist. He said nothing.

"And who's this?" she said, pointing to Dean.  
"This is my brother," Sam said carefully. He avoided giving him a name for now. "We were just passing through town and I just...I don't know, wanted to say hello to some old friends."  
"Well, I'm glad you did. You boys want to come in?" Joey asked warmly. They both nodded.

She invited them inside and they plopped down on the couch. "Water OK?" She asked from the kitchen and the boys confirmed it was. Dean looked around the living room. Joey clearly hadn't decorated the place. Sam whispered to him that it was her parents' place. Dean nodded and continued to inspect the room. He saw some photos on a table near his side of the couch. He looked at photos of Joey's family. He picked up one photo. It was Joey's dad and Dean's dad outside of Woodson's garage. Dean studied it. The smile on his father's face was one he'd seen so rarely. He replaced the photo. Family photos were mixed upon photos of friends. Dean saw another one of interest. Joey and Sam outside a local diner sometime in 1983. Joey looked thrilled. Sam looked pained. His forever pained brother. Dean put that photo back too.

Joey returned with 3 waters. The boys eagerly gulped theirs down from thirst.

"Gosh, Sam, you haven't changed a bit," Joey sighed. "If I didn't know better I'd say you hadn't aged a day."  
"Oh, maybe a few days," Dean rattled a bit too honestly. Sam quickly bitchfaced at him.  
"I suppose you might have stopped by the Winchesters place too," Joey said, tone a bit softer. "Unfortunately Mary passed on. John and the boys left town several years ago now. They would have liked to see you."

Dean looked away. Sam looked down. "I heard," Sam said plaintively. "They were good people."  
"What do you do, Joey?" Dean asked to break the silence that had set in.  
"Me?" Joey answered sheepishly. "I work at the Sheriff's office."

Dean nodded. Explained the gun.

"And... well, you're his brother so you must know what Sam does. I'm kind of a hunter too, actually."  
Sam nearly dropped his glass. "You're a hunter?"  
"That really explains the gun," Dean reasoned.  
Joey nodded. "Did you hear how Mary Winchester died? They say a demon did it. And she's not the only one in town either. My whole life people have been dying in real funny ways in this town. I guess I fell into it to protect myself."  
"Holy water?" Dean asked, holding up his glass.  
"Yep," Joey replied with a sly grin.  
"Why didn't you just get out of here?" Sam asked.  
Joey shrugged. "There was always a reason to stay. Family first, then my job, then I don't know. Where else was I really gonna go? I couldn't just run off one day like you did."

Sam ducked a bit. He was about to find out what happened in the aftermath of leaving with Castiel, and he knew it.

"You just disappeared, Sam," Joey continued. "A lot of people looked for you. Then we found your truck ditched outside of town and we figured you'd jumped ship. You left everyone in a lurch. Especially me."  
"Joey, I didn't want to leave," Sam started.  
"No, forget it. After a while I figured it out. That demon that possessed me? You were hunting it, weren't you?" she asked.  
"You remember that?" Sam asked, brow furrowed.  
"Yeah, I remember," Joey nodded. "It's back, isn't it? I've seen all the signs around here. That's why you're here?"  
Sam was hoping it would make his job easier. "That's why Dean and I are here," he slipped.  
Joey's brow furrowed. "Dean? Your brother's name is Dean? Sam and Dean?" The  
Winchesters exchanged looks. "That's some coincidence, isn't it?"  
"No, it's not," Sam said. "Because we are Mary and John's kids."  
Joey laughed. "I knew your last name wasn't Hagar. But you're a little old to be their kids! And what all those years ago? You were in your 20s then! You kinda look like you're in your 20s now!"

"I know this is going to sound crazy," said Sam, puppy dog eyes in full force. "But we are the Winchester boys. We came back in time to stop a demon. I started in 1983. And now Dean and I are here." He stopped to check on Joey's reaction. She looked surprised but not angry so he continued. "And we're here because you have something we need."

"I have something you need?" Joey repeated, dumbfounded.  
Sam nodded. "A knife."  
"A knife?" Joey repeated again.  
Sam nodded again. "It's made of silver. It has a slight curve to it. It's got a pearlized handle. We heard you have it," Sam said, looking to Dean for support. His older brother leaned in.  
"We're chasing after something really bad," Dean reinforced. "And this knife may be the only way to kill it."  
"How do you know I have it?" Joey asked, arms folded.  
"Security tapes," Dean lied quickly. "We saw you on the tapes."

Joey frowned. She thought she had been more careful. She hated the idea of giving up something she'd just worked so hard to get. But Sam and Dean looked determined. She got up and left the room. Dean and Sam exchanged looks. When she came back she had a cloth in-hand. She unfolded it to reveal the knife.

"Another hunter asked me to get this," she said. "I'm gonna have a heck of a time explaining why I don't have it tonight."  
"What's happening tonight?" Sam asked.  
"I don't know all the details but word is there's a whole bunch of demons circling around Goodland right now," Joey said.

It meant Bobby's information had been good. They needed to get there.

Joey reluctantly gave them the knife. "I'm going too," she said.  
"You don't want in on this mess, trust me," Dean said, shaking his head. Joey gave him a dirty look.  
"How about this?" Sam offered. "We'll go, and once we check it out we'll call you. Then you can decide whether to come or not."  
Joey considered it, then nodded. "Alright."

The brothers quickly said their goodbyes and headed outside. Once they were a safe distance from the house, Dean looked at Sam and smiled. He pointed to Sam, then back at the house.

"Yeah?" Dean asked, wondering if Sam had hooked up with Joey.  
"What? No..." Sam said indignantly.  
"Too bad," Dean said. "She was smokin."  
"Dean, she's like 20 years older than me!" Sam turned exasperated.  
"Yeah, and?" Dean asked.

They had a brief stare down. It ended in a stalemate.

_Lush Coastal Rainforests of Central South Dakota._

Castiel was flipping through one of Bobby's books on angelic symbolism. He seemed to be looking for something in particular but gave Bobby only vague information about what. Bobby was across his den, sitting at his desk with his hand balled up in front of his face. Mentally stopping him from speaking or interrupting. There was an angel in his den. And though Dean and Sam had seemed comfortable with this being Bobby was still coming to terms with the fact that angels had been roaming the Earth, and supposedly watching over them. He was slightly suspicious. The angel never made a disturbing move. Castiel never slept but Bobby was growing exhausted.

Having reached the end of the book, Castiel snapped the spine shut and grabbed the next one. He flipped through with determination. About halfway through a page caught his eye. His blues became fixated and then rapidly moved across the page, reading each line and referencing back and forth from the right page to the left. He picked the book up and met Bobby's eyes across the room.

Bobby watched the angel approach him, leaning back in his chair to appear nonchalant.

"You've been tracking the angel vessel deaths?" Castiel asked.  
"Most of 'em," Bobby said, nodding.  
"Did anyone report seeing this symbol near the bodies?" Castiel held up the book as he asked. On the right page was a sigil. Most sigils had multiple Enochian letters within but this one had a single one repeated at four points, with a six-pointed star in the middle. "It means fire," Castiel explained.

Bobby thought for a minute. He got up and motioned for Castiel to follow him into the kitchen. Once there he shuffled through the disorganized pile of papers on the table before he got to the proper folder. Inside were crime scene photos.

"This is from Cheyenne - Dean gave it to me. They found a sigil on the side of the house," Bobby said, showing Castiel. A quick look confirmed it was the same one.  
"You recognize it?" Bobby asked. Castiel nodded silently. "What's it do?"  
"It calls angels to that location," Cas explained. "It's a beacon set specifically by one angel to call the others. Any angel that answered this was doomed." Castiel looked distracted suddenly. As though he was listening to something outside.  
"You wanna explain yourself a bit better there, Babbitt?" Bobby cracked, trying to pull some more information out the angel.  
"We need to call Dean and Sam," Castiel said. "They need to know this as soon as possible."

_Heading west on I-70._  
_Day of._

The Chevelle roared through one mile after another. The boys had tried calling Bobby but neither of them was getting through. Unsure what to do without Castiel or their friend's guidance, they were headed west to Goodland where Cas had mentioned demons gathering. There were intermittent rain showers along the way and a nasty wind was tailing them. Every once in awhile a gust would push the car sideways.

Sam, trying to kill time in the passenger's seat, was inspecting the knife Joey had turned over to them. There were no carvings in the blade like Ruby's knife. There was little that looked special about it aside from a pearl handle that was not unlike the one on Dean's gun. The blade had a slight curve to it. It reminded Sam of a sickle. Apropos for killing a part demon, part angel. He put the knife in the glove compartment for safe keeping.

It was raining harder, and Dean squinted to see the road ahead. With no lights on the highway the bright white lane markers were his only clue. A car suddenly swerved in front of the Chevelle. Dean cut the wheel sharply, sending the boys into a skid. Sam grabbed onto the door frame for support as Dean turned into the skid and tried to right the car. They went off the road as the rear-wheel drive finally caught. Dean's knuckles were pure white as he settled the car back to a straight line, guided it to a stop and then put it in park. He exhaled deeply. Sam, wide-eyed, released the door frame.

They both got out and tried to find the car that had set them askew. The highway was mostly empty. Every so often a truck sped by. They were quickly soaked.

"What the hell was that?" Dean wondered out loud.  
"Scared local?" Sam supposed.

They heard it before they saw it. The constant horn of an 18-wheeler. Rumbling engines as the headlights appeared first. Even in the night haze the boys could tell it was out of control. As it careened closer it drifted right, first towards the shoulder and then off the road. It was barreling straight towards them.

They ran back to the Chevelle and jumped in. Dean fired the car up and peeled away to escape the truck. He was driving as much in his rearview as he was through the windshield.

"Dean!" Sam said suddenly. Ahead of them was a roadblock of cars in a multi-vehicle pileup.  
"This must be our exit," Dean cracked.

He guided the Chevelle off the highway. They watched as the truck went blazing past. It swerved violently to avoid the pile-up, ending up on the frontage road next to the highway. Sam and Dean exchanged looks. At least it hadn't hit them.

The brothers made it to Goodland - or what was left of it. The entire town and the surrounding 50 miles sat under a dark grey plume. Some nasty electrical storms set in around them, lighting up the black sky with crackles of white every so often. The town looked like it had been leveled by a tornado. Sam and Dean knew better. There was no one left in the town. As they drove along E. 8th St they looked for any signs of life. Sam tapped Dean on the shoulder. One building had a deadly familiar word on it: Croatoan. They passed by the courthouse with an old bronze statue in front. Two early settles. Then the library and another statue. A mother reading to her kids. The woman was holding one of her children tightly. Sam wasn't sure if he was projecting his own fear, but the statue seemed scared. Better it than him.

"What've we got in this place?" Dean asked.  
Sam took out his map. "Uh, there's an airstrip north of here and a cemetery not too far away from that." Sam scanned the map for any other locations where demons might be hiding out. "Take a right here."

They drove up one of the town avenues, passing by a medical center, then a church, and finally pulling up to a funeral home. A funeral home with way too many lights on.

"Yahtzee," Dean said, driving by the building and parking around the corner.

He and Sam jumped out of the car and started loading up weapons from the back.

Sam took their new knife out. "Who carries this thing?" He asked his older brother to make the call.  
Dean looked at it, and then at Sam. "I got my hands full," Dean said by way of excuse.  
The move wasn't lost on Sam. "I got your back," Sam responded. He grabbed a shotgun from the trunk and loaded it with rock salt.

Dean grabbed another for himself, and made sure both Ruby's knife and the angel-killing blade were within arm's reach.

The brothers used trees as cover to make their way closer to the building. They made it to the building's dark brick facade, and planted themselves on either side of a window. Sam could just barely see in on his tiptoes. Dean silently agreed to be the watchman.

Inside, two men were standing over a table arguing. One had a plaid Carhartt-style jacket on and the other had a heavy bomber-style jacket on. There was a third man off to the side in jeans and a roughneck button-up, and a small batch of people with their backs to Sam. He could only hear muffles through the window. The men at the table grew angrier with each other, and the one in the Carhartt jacket smacked something off the table entirely. The other man held his hand up and sent the first flying back against the wall. Sam watched as the man twisted his fist and prepared for the worst. But the third man stepped forward, spreading his arms out, and the first two both fell to the ground.

Sam ducked back down. "There are definitely demons in there," he said to Dean. "I'm guessing all of them. About 10 total."  
"Anyone familiar?" Dean asked from the ground.  
"Not sure," Sam said. "From what Cas said one of them might be Ipos, right?"

Dean nodded. He scanned the building for an entrance. He saw a light on the corner. He poked Sam. "I think we can get in over there."

They mantled the building, sidestepping their way to the corner. Dean peeked around first - the coast was clear. He and Sam stepped around to the back door next to the garage, which was of course locked. They couldn't pick it. The garage door would be too noisy. There was only one option. They stepped back, and Dean quickly shot the lock off. The shotgun was loud and they feared raising alarm. After waiting for a minute and no enemies coming after them, they decided they were good to go in.

The back door opened to steps up or down. The action was upstairs so Dean and Sam headed up. They pointed their guns down hallways and into rooms that they passed. One of the parlors had a casket set up in it, and two or three corpses lay slain on the floor while blood splatters lined the walls. As they continued down, one of the 'corpses' got up and followed them. When it was close enough to Sam, it jumped onto his back to pull him down.

Sam felt the demon's arm around his neck and shoulders, and grabbed at its hands to try to knock it off. "Ah, Dean!" he called, struggling.

Unable to shake it off, Sam turned and smacked himself into a wall back-first to knock the demon off instead. The woman let go of him and slid down to the floor. Dean shot it with rock salt, and it roared in pain. Another demon appeared behind Dean and kicked him forward, sending both Dean and the gun flying. Sam leapt over his brother and punched the demon square in the face. It grabbed the shotgun Dean had been using and slammed the butt into Sam's chest. Dean, still on the ground, grabbed Ruby's Knife from his jacket and stabbed the demon in the back of the leg. It cried out in pain and fell over. Dean pulled the knife back out and got to his feet.

The female demon took a swing at Dean, landing a hook right in his jaw. He staggered back and then punched back, landing a shot right in the demon's gut. Sam elbowed the other demon viciously, and both demons ended up on the ground in a pile. Dean and Sam retook their guns and aimed them squarely at the attackers.

"Where are the others?" Dean asked, shoving his gun towards the male demon's face.  
"Gone," it replied, leaning away from the gun. Dean looked back to Sam, who shrugged in return.  
"Where did they go?" Dean tried again.  
"You can't stop them," the demon said. "It's done. Semiazas walks the Earth. He has an army of fallen angels ready."  
Dean leaned in to get into the demon's face. "We have a few tricks up our sleeves."

They had a short stare down. Then the demon seemed to decide it wasn't worth the risk and evacuated its meatsuit. The other demon quickly followed. The Winchesters decided to check out the rest of the building just in case any stragglers were still there. They made their way down the hallway, checking rooms as they went. The room Sam had peered into before was empty. They headed in.

On the table was a map, not unlike the one Bobby had made on his kitchen table. This map had x's over Goodland; North Platte, Nebraska; and Ankeny, Iowa. There were two lines connecting the three cities, intersecting at McCook, Nebraska.

"Mean anything to you?" Sam asked.  
"Not a damn thing," Dean said, frowning. "But this route east? It hits five spots where vessels have been killed - Kearney, Grand Island, Lincoln, Omaha, Des Moines."  
"Want to bet this line north and south does too?" Sam hypothesized.  
"Actually," said a voice behind them, "the endpoints mark gates to Hell."

Sam and Dean wheeled around to face the voice. It was the second man, the one in the bomber.

"Just relax boys, I'm not here to hurt you," the man said. "Still, just for safety..." He waved his hand. Dean and Sam's guns went flying.  
"Who are you?" Dean asked.  
"My name is Nathaniel," he said. "I'm an angel. And you're Dean Winchester. And that's Sam."  
"An angel, huh? We don't have the best track record with you guys," Dean said through gritted teeth.  
"I'll try to keep that in mind," Nathaniel said, as one of the lamps in the room flashed brighter to show the silhouette of his wings as proof.  
"What happened to the demons that were in here?" Sam asked.  
"They left," Nathaniel said. "They're headed to the cemetery to open one of the gates."  
"And you just let them go," Dean raged. His suspicions rose.  
"I was sent here to negotiate the same return of my brothers and sisters," the angel said. "But it didn't work."  
"Those demons – one of them was Ipos, wasn't it?" Sam saw Nathaniel nod in response to his question.  
"You two seem...odd," Nathaniel noted. "You're not of this time. How did you get here?"  
"An angel pulled us back," Dean answered cautiously.

Nathaniel's eyes danced as he decided who it could be. "Castiel is the one assigned to you. Was it him? Is he here?"  
"No," Dean replied. "Not here."  
Nathaniel nodded slowly. "Too bad," he said. "We could use his help."

Sam eyed the angel closely. "Those demons are killing off every angel they find. Why'd they leave you alive?"  
"Because they think I know something. They lost a vessel and they think I know where she is." Nathaniel turned away from them.  
"Who?" Dean asked, though he already had an idea what the answer was.

"Alexis Parker." Nathaniel said, still turned away. "They say her angel, Raziel, is the only one who knows how to kill Lucifer once and for all. Semiazas knows Lucifer is trying to rise. He doesn't want to be under someone else's thumb, especially not someone who's trying to end the world entirely. Raziel is hiding. Alexis is the one who can pull her back. Ipos mentioned seeing her with you, Dean. Do you know where she is?"

"I have no idea," Dean answered, honestly for once.  
"Sam, I don't suppose you know either," Nathaniel said, turning back to them. Sam shook his head no. "That's too bad. It makes you expendable."

He reached into his coat, and Dean quickly grabbed the angel-killing blade from inside his jacket. He held it towards the angel.

"Relax, Dean," Nathaniel said, showing Dean the pen he had reached for. "If you were meant to be dead it would have happened." He wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to Dean. "If you change your mind about knowing anything, won't you give this Sheriff's deputy I'm in a call?"

Dean looked at the paper. It was a phone number.

"Now, on your way, boys," the angel said, and tapped both Dean and Sam on the forehead. In an instant, they were back outside.  
"That guy was about as warm and fuzzy as a prison guard," Dean said.

Sam nodded in agreement.

Dean tried calling Castiel and Bobby but couldn't get through. "Phones are still down," he noted to his brother.  
"Cemetery?" Sam asked, though he already knew the answer.  
"Hope you brought your special setup-detecting EMF," Dean cracked by way of an answer.


	10. A Little Less Conversation, Part 2

**A Little Less Conversation, Part II.**

_Goodland Cemetery._  
_Night Of._

Sam and Dean stashed the Chevelle near the entrance to the cemetery and then made their way into the final resting commune. Sam grabbed their new knife while Dean packed the Colt and their usual weaponry. When a crying girl ran into them, they quickly extracted as much information as possible. Her name was Jen, her boyfriend Brian was dead, and their friend Brad had killed him. Dean ran her to her car while Sam moved ahead. He spotted a group of people gathering around an obelisk. As the younger Winchester drew closer he saw more tell-tale signs that something was going down: a small fire, candles, and then a woman screaming. Sam picked up the pace when he heard that. He snuck up behind a nearby mausoleum to listen in.

The men Sam had seen earlier sprayed a symbol into the ground between headstones. In the center was a monument that had what looked like a bird bath on top. They placed candles at certain points and then one of the men grabbed a chalice and a knife. He approached the group and motioned for some of them to leave. Sam watched the demons heading off towards a truck. The rest off to the side. One man came up, holding a shotgun to a woman. Sam leaned in further and realized the woman was Joey. She had beaten them there.

Joey screamed as the man got closer. "Stop!" she cried.

As Brad drew closer to her his eyes flipped beetle black. Sam looked back to check for Dean but saw no signs of his brother. He wasn't eager to watch demons finally finish off Joey. The need to save her took over, even if it meant putting himself in harm's way.

"Hey!" Sam called from behind the group. "Is this the right party?"

Sam watched as they all turned around to face him.

"Guess my invite got lost in the mail," Sam said, flashing his pretty new knife.  
"Sam Winchester," the demon said. "You're always invited."  
"Let her go," Sam ordered, pointing at Joey. "She doesn't have a part in this."  
"I'd like to," the demon lied. "But we do in fact need her. See, we need to use her blood to open the gate. And you're done with her now that you have that, aren't you?" He motioned towards the knife.  
"You need someone's blood? Use mine," Sam growled.  
The demon laughed. "Sure, Sam," he said. "It can't be just anyone's blood. And you're just an innocent little lamb, aren't you? I think not. Besides, we've got other things lined up for you."  
"Let her go, Mastema," Sam said again, moving forward.

The man in the roughneck button-up, who'd been watching all the events unfolding from the side, came forward. "Not Mastema. Guess again," he said. "I can see the confusion - we've never met. Later on you can ask your brother if a demon named Ipos means anything to him." Ipos was right in front of Sam by that time, locking eyes with Sam menacingly.

Sam heard a roar behind him and spun around to see the Chevelle charging towards them. He quickly ran to get out of way. The demon holding Joey did the same as Dean charged into the crowd, sending demons everywhere. He smashed the Chevelle into the mausoleum the group had been gathered around. The commotion was enough to disperse the group. Dean pulled himself out of the window and on top of the Chevelle's hood, where he stood with a bullhorn.

He started reciting the exorcism chant he knew by heart. Most of the demons covered their ears, tried to hide or tried to run out of earshot. But as Dean quickly made his way through the verses the smoke began to pour out of the meatsuits, and eventually the demons lost hold of their meatsuits and spilled into the night. When they were done, Dean jumped down from the roof of the car. He came up next to his brother and nodded a greeting.

"Did I miss anything?" Dean asked with a grin.

Sam was glad to see his brother, but Ipos didn't look as amused.

"I think you parked in my spot," Ipos said from not far away, and held out an arm.

The Chevelle groaned and leaned, before finally flipping over and sliding out of the way. It rolled back onto its wheels a good hundred yards away, a little worse for wear. Dean and Sam exchanged looks. They saw the binding mark on his wrist. No exorcising this demon.

"Don't you have some yellow-eyed thing to chase after?" it asked.  
"We are. Two places at once - we're just that good," Dean snarked.  
"Sam I can understand being here. He has a demonic fate to try to break free from. This girl is someone he knows. But you Dean? Death just follows you. Who's going to die tonight? We're not ready for you to start the big party quite yet." The demon continued. Dean's face turned grim.

The demon held his hand out again, and this time Dean and Sam themselves went flying backwards. Sam lost the knife on the way back. They landed a few yards back. Ipos picked up the knife.

"It's cute," the demon said. "Collect them all!"  
"Who are you?" Dean asked as he slowly picked himself back up. "Since you already know who we are."  
"You don't recognize me, Dean?" The demon said, somewhat disappointed. "Maybe if I was still wearing that campus security guard?"  
"Ipos," Dean realized. "So, what's the plan? Kill a few vessels? Bring on the Apocalypse? Fry along with the rest of us when Lucifer goes postal?"  
"The vessels are means to an end," Ipos said, still admiring the knife. "To the angels. Those righteous, conniving, self-indulgent pricks. You know some of them want to bring on the Apocalypse more than the demons do. It was easy to convince a group of them to help us. I couldn't care less about the Apocalypse. But the angels? They all need to die." Ipos paused and turned back to Dean. "You're a vessel, aren't you?"  
"We're _the_ vessels," Dean growled sarcastically.  
"Right," Ipos nodded with a smirk. "That's what they always say. A long time ago, that's what they told me too. But there are things they don't tell you about hosting an angel. How it ravages your mind and your body. How they never let your bloodline go. How if an angel dies inside of you without finishing their task, you don't always get to go to Heaven."  
"You were a vessel?" Sam didn't believe it.  
"I only asked for two things. For my family to be safe, and to see them again when I was done. I got neither. And after my human life was done I ended up in Hell. I have been waiting a very long time for this chance." Ipos concluded.  
"The angels may be dicks," Dean countered. "But you demons aren't winning any Miss Congeniality awards either."

Ipos balled his hand into a fist and twisted it, and Dean and Sam were both collapsed onto the ground in pain. "Truth is I'm under orders not to kill either of you right now," Ipos said. "But I am seriously considering it anyway."

With the brothers writhing on the ground Ipos turned and walked back to the other demon and Joey. He stopped suddenly when a bullet shot into his skull. He turned back to see Sam holding the Colt, smoking from the bullet it had just launched. Sam was looking at the demon somewhat sheepishly.

"That wasn't very nice Sam," Ipos said cooly as the anger rose in him. "That wasn't very nice at all. Way to waste a bullet."  
"It wasn't a waste," said Dean, who had used the distraction to run up to Ipos. He grabbed the knife. Ipos showed off quick reflexes, shoving Dean backwards. Sam helped Dean recover.

The brothers heard the cry of dogs from somewhere off in the distance. Sam helped Dean up from the ground as Dean sputtered, "Hellhounds." Sam turned back to trade words with Ipos, but the demon was gone. All of the demons were in fact gone and Joey had disappeared with them.

"Dammit," Sam said, exasperated.  
"We gotta get out of here," Dean urged. He was already on his way over to the Chevelle.

Sam looked around the cemetery one more time to determine where the demons had gone but he still saw nothing. Dean fired up the Chevelle's engines to convince Sam to get in. After an angry slap to the car's frame, Sam folded himself into the car.

_Lush Coastal Rainforests of Central South Dakota._  
_Aftermath._

Dean parked the slightly smashed Chevelle in the lot. He and Sam sorely got out of the car and walked up to the door. Inside, Bobby and Castiel were leaning over a book. They didn't notice Sam or Dean return; they were engrossed in conversation.

"It would depend on if she still has the amulet," Castiel was saying. Dean cleared his throat and the angel and man looked up.  
"Where have you been?" Castiel asked, concerned. "We've been trying to reach you for over a day."  
"Goodland," Dean said. "It was wiped clean by Semiazas and Ipos. They used Croatoan."  
"Croatoan?" Bobby asked. "That's some serious firepower."  
"No kidding," Sam said.  
"Did you find Ipos?" Castiel asked.  
Dean nodded. "Ipos is gone. With Joey..." He trailed off.  
Sam looked away. He pulled the Colt out of his jacket and tossed it on the desk. "This thing was useless, as usual," he said with more than a little frustration in his voice.  
"Wasn't the only fun we had in town," Dean continued. "We met an angel. Nathaniel. One of yours?"

Castiel's face turned concerned. "Does he know I'm here?"  
"Didn't seem to," Dean said. "Though he was asking about you. Who is he?"  
"An angel that works for Zachariah," Castiel replied. "And at this time, higher-ranking than me. Bobby showed me the sigil you and Alex found in Nebraska. It's specific to Nathaniel. I think he is working with Ipos."  
"Great," said Dean. "Just perfect."  
"Is he one of the angels you thought was coming after us?" Sam asked.  
"Possibly. Whenever an angel travels through time we are supposed to report ourselves as being out of sync," Castiel said. "I thought it better to try to lay low. Especially since it's unclear whose side some angels are on. If I'm caught..." he trailed off.  
"You'll get a stern talking to?" Dean laughed. "Look at you all rebel without a cause!"  
"We definitely have a cause, Dean," Castiel countered.

Dean started to say something but thought better of it.

"They're getting closer," Castiel shook his head as he spoke. "We need to hurry. While you two were gone Bobby and I were working."  
"Wanna share with the rest of the class?" Dean asked.  
"Just...talking," Bobby demurred.  
"Talking? Or plotting?" Dean asked coyly. Castiel started to say something but Bobby stopped him.  
"We were just talking. Plotting. Stupid stuff," Bobby said.  
"Stupid stuff?" Dean regurgitated.  
"Yep," Bobby said. "Stuff just stupid enough to work."

He waved the boys over and they gathered around the book. Dean got a little more excited as he read each line of the ancient text. The ritual had two parts to it: first to call Alex back from Hell, then to summon the angel Raziel. Castiel warned them all that the angel was somewhat unpredictable and quite powerful. He was also concerned about whether Alex was done with her task or not. And with Ipos still alive, there were risks. Dean was predictably impatient and wanted to use the ritual to summon Ipos as well. They debated the best plan for a while. In the end, Castiel won out.

"You may not like what you see," Castiel warned them.  
"Wasn't that hard on the eyes," Dean replied with a hint of a smile.

"A little to your left," Bobby was saying from his perch on top of a truck.

It was dusk and the light was quickly fading from the sky. The headlights were on to help Dean, Sam and Castiel see. The Chevelle sat parked perpendicular, its headlights also shining towards the trio on the ground.

Castiel pointed where he thought Bobby wanted him. Bobby nodded and the angel moved to that spot and began spraying an enochian symbol into the ground with white spray paint. He was almost done creating the sigil, one that instead of sending an angel away would lock it into place. Sam, about 10 feet behind Castiel, was spraying symbols of his own with another can. From memory he sprayed the symbols of a Devil's Trap into the grass and dirt, along the path Dean had outlined for him. Dean was on Cas's other side, finishing off the concentric circles. He was tempted to spray a big X in the middle but held himself back. He poured holy oil along the pattern of the innermost ring.

Bobby could see the whole thing - a circle inside a Devil's Trap inside a sigil, with holy oil thrown down for good effect. He held up the tracing he'd made from one of his books to ensure the pattern looked right. Once satisfied, he called the boys off from their spraying.

"I think we're done," Bobby said. He was satisfied with the work.

Dean ran over and jumped first into the truck bed and then joined Bobby on the steel roof of the cab. He admired their work too.

At ground level, Sam was skeptical.

"You sure this is the right kind of tree?" Sam asked Castiel, motioning to an ancient-looking oak just a few feet away from the circle.

Castiel nodded. "It's the grounding point the oldest angels use to travel through time. This is the closest one to Bobby's," Castiel said.

Bobby had similar misgivings up on the truck.

"We're trying to summon an angel from Hell. What happens if a demon tags along for the ride? Or worse?" Bobby asked Dean.  
"We get rid of it," Dean said stubbornly. "And then we try again."

Sam walked up to the truck. "Guess we're ready." He said cautiously.  
"Terrific," Bobby said. "I'm glad we're by my place so I get to clean up whatever mess you idjits stir up." He jumped down from the roof, into the bed and then down to the ground. He lowered the tailgate. A small sacrificing bowl and a book were there, as well as a bag of dust.

"Take your positions," Bobby cracked.

Dean jumped down from the truck and stood in front of the Chevelle. He took out the ivory knife so it was at the ready. Sam stayed in front of the truck and took out the Colt, fully loaded. Castiel walked across their masterpiece and took his place across the way from Sam, close to the shadows. He palmed an angel-killing blade just in case.

"Here goes nothing," Bobby said, sprinking some of the dust into the bowl. A bone, some herbs and a bit of oil were already in there. He struck a match and dropped it into the bowl. Then he picked up his book and started chanting.

The wind picked up. Sam wheeled around to check for anything behind them. Hard to say if the wind was nature or summoned. Bobby continued reading. They heard buzzing, and Dean noticed the Chevelle's headlights flickering. He turned to check his car as the radio turned on. All static at first and then quickly shifting through the stations. The headlights continued to flicker and Sam jumped away as one of the truck's broke. Then the other. Castiel started to run back towards them but a bolt of lightning struck down and the holy oil on the ground caught fire.

The Chevelle's headlight casings shattered. They heard cracking as the tree swayed heavily in the wind. Bobby finished the incantation and grabbed his shotgun, joining Sam in front of the truck. More lightning flashed down and started to ball up in the center of their symbol. The tree continued to heave and crack until finally it split in two. Energy rushed out of it.

"Shut your eyes!" Castiel yelled, but Bobby, Dean and Sam had already shielded their eyes from the light. Castiel watched as something materialized inside the perimeter of the holy oil.

All of the energy dissipated. The wind died down. Dean drew his arm down. He could see a silhouette inside the circle of holy oil, but with all the headlights out he couldn't see who it was clearly. He slid back against the Chevelle's body and grabbed a flashlight. Over at the truck Bobby and Sam did the same. Castiel made his way to the edge of the symbol. Dean ran over.

A girl was inside the flame, slowly picking herself up from the ground. It wasn't Alex. She was shorter with red hair. Dean and Sam's faces fell as the girl stood up slowly. They had summoned someone - or something - else. Castiel tilted his head.

"Alex?" He asked.  
"It's not her, Cas," Dean replied.

The girl was rubbing her forehead. Back on her feet, she didn't seem to be all there. Eventually her eyes focused on the men around her.

"Castiel?" she asked, focusing on the angel first. He nodded. "What happened to me?"  
"Who is that, Cas?" Sam asked.  
"Sam?" The girl interjected. Sam looked at her in confusion.  
"Who are you?" he asked.  
"Alex," the girl replied, shocked Sam didn't recognize her.

Bobby, Dean and Sam looked to Castiel. The angel was still fixated on the girl.

"Prove it," Dean said to her.  
The girl thought for a minute. "You always throw scissors in Rochambeau," she said to Dean. "Sam takes two multivitamins every day - a Men's 365 and a Flinstone tablet."

Sam looked at Dean and shrugged. Her info was spot on.

"Can someone stop that screaming?" Alex asked.  
"Ain't no one screaming," Bobby said cautiously.  
"You're kidding, right? It's practically all I can hear," Alex replied.  
"Alex," Castiel said. "You're possessing someone."

Everyone looked at Castiel in surprise.

"Oh my god," Alex said. "You're kidding. So I...wow. It really happened. No wonder I feel so weird. Why?"  
"Possessing...so, she's a demon?" Dean asked. Castiel nodded. "Do the eye thing!" He urged Alex. She shot him a dirty look in return.  
"We summoned you as I told you we might," Castiel continued. "Ipos is not dead. It wasn't safe to try to raise you. But we need to talk to Raziel."  
"I don't understand...how will that work? Don't I kind of need my body for that?" Alex asked.

Castiel motioned to Sam, who had a mirror in-hand. Sam tossed it to Alex through the fire. She took one look and immediately put a hand to her face. "My cousin!" she gasped, recognizing her host.  
"It's not perfect, but it's the same bloodline," Castiel said. "Raziel will know it's you in there. You can grant her entry to a temporary vessel. It should work."  
"Let's just get this over with," Alex replied. "I can't even imagine the years of therapy my poor cousin is going to need after this."  
"How many are there?" Castiel asked. "How many angels are down there? How many are lost?"  
"There are 15 that I know of," Alex said. "And probably more. There are 3 angels that have not broken yet. They are have not crossed to demons yet."  
"Did you find it?" Castiel asked, not defining 'it.'  
Alex nodded. "More than enough."  
Castiel nodded. "We're ready then," he said.

They backed away slightly, and Castiel nodded to the others. Bobby started chanting again. The trees around them started swaying. The big oak started rumbling and cracking. The holy oil fire around Alex swirled and she looked up. The area around her became brighter. The men couldn't hear anything but Alex seemed to be listening. She nodded. The flames flew upwards, engulfing her.

"Alex!" Dean called, running forward. Castiel caught him by the arm and shook his head, warning him to stay back. The flames died back down and then out. Once again they all faced a girl, uncertain of her identity.  
"Raziel?" Castiel said uncertainly. The girl blinked a few times.  
"Castiel?" she whispered. Then she smiled. "Only you would come up with this."  
"I improvised," he said bashfully.  
Raziel looked to the others. She nodded to Bobby. "Sam, Dean," she greeted the brothers.

Unsure of what to say, Sam and Dean just stared.

"She's one of the good ones, right?" Dean whispered to Castiel.  
"I think so," Castiel whispered back. "I've never actually met her before."

Dean wasn't inspired by his friend's answer.

"This isn't exactly what I had in mind when I called you back here," Raziel said. "This vessel will not last long."  
"It's a work in progress," Sam replied. "We just need some help."  
Raziel nodded. "I want to help you. And your brother. In exchange you know what I need."  
"Ipos took off. We don't know where he is. And he has one of our friends," Sam said, laying it out.  
Raziel's eyes danced for a few moments. "Iowa. Ankeny."  
"There's a gate there?" Dean asked.  
She nodded in reply. "Ipos is going to raise Semiazas tomorrow night. You boys need to stop it from happening. "  
"Yeah, I'm sure he'll be real happy to see us again," Dean muttered.  
Raziel demurred. "Maybe happier than you think. Especially Sam over there."  
"All that demon blood crap? We are not going back to that," Dean said.  
"No need," Raziel replied playfully. "They might just think Sam is the chosen leader for their army though. Popular rumor circling around Hell about this time period from what I hear."  
Sam cocked an eyebrow. "Mastema..." he trailed off. "You planted a rumor in Hell that I was going to lead a demon army?"  
Raziel shrugged and smiled. "Not to Azazel," she said. "But since it was already an idea, I just...spread the word a bit. And did you know that Dean is the only human that can start the Apocalypse? It's true. Semiazas has a plan to start it so that he can take Lucifer out himself. Not without the Winchesters though."

Dean nodded, bemused. Sam chortled and shook his head.

"Guess we know why Mastema was so interested in me now," Sam said to Dean. "That's one mystery solved."  
"So how do we stop him?" Dean asked Raziel.  
"You have the knife. That will stop Ipos. I'm still working on the way to stop Semiazas. Don't let Ipos finish the ritual tonight."  
"What about Joey?" Sam asked.  
"I hear you guys are pretty good at saving people," Raziel said, looking around. "You might just have to start with yourselves. Castiel, they found you."

Castiel's eyes widened and he spun around, looking for other angels in the area.

"Help us," Castiel said to Raziel, but she shook her head.  
"This vessel couldn't take it," she said. "I'm sorry." Raziel left the temporary vessel. Alex's cousin collapsed. Dean ran to her.  
"Alex," Dean said, shaking her. Her eyes flipped open, beetle black.  
"I can't stay either," she said. "I have this sudden urge to beat the crap out of you. I don't know how much longer I can hold this in."  
"Yeah I get that a lot," Dean teased.  
"Guess that's what Hell does to you," Alex said.  
"We're gonna get you out of there," Dean said.  
"I hope so. You have no idea what I had to do to get here. Don't leave me stuck down there."

"Dean," Sam said, motioning across the field. Several angels were approaching, led by Nathaniel. Sam and Bobby ran to the truck and traded their flashlights in for shotguns. Sam grabbed an extra one for Dean.

Alex smiled weakly at Dean, who leaned in towards her. He started the exorcism, quickly flying through the verses. Alex's cousin started coughing and the smoke poured out. It trickled into the grass as Dean tried not to watch. And like that, Alex was gone again.

Dean helped the girl up to her feet and led her over to Bobby's truck. He told her to hide in the footwell, which she did. Dean slammed the door shut and took the extra gun from Sam. Not that a gun was going to do much good. Dean surveyed the scene. Bobby winced in disbelief.

"Looks like he's got a goon squad with him this time. You think they're angels or demons?" Dean asked Sam.  
"Still got that blade?" Sam asked Dean.  
Dean still had it. "I'll cover you," he said to Sam, who nodded and ducked around the truck.

Castiel stepped up to face Nathaniel first.

"Castiel," Nathaniel said as he arrived within earshot. "Looks like you're here after all." Nathaniel shot a dirty look at Dean, who looked back sheepishly.  
"Well, he wasn't at...the building...where we were at," Dean tried to defend himself. Then he keeled over, struck by a sudden pain in the gut. It felt like being sucker punched.  
"You never called Dean," Nathaniel said. "I'm hurt."  
"You're not really my type," Dean gasped, clutching his stomach. He doubled over on the ground. Nathaniel turned his attention back to Castiel with Dean quieted.  
"Any reason you didn't tell us you're here?" Nathaniel asked Castiel. "You're not hiding, are you?"  
"I didn't have a chance to report in yet," Castiel replied. "Things have been a bit busy."  
"From what I hear you've been running around with those two making all sorts of messes," Nathaniel said. "Why are they here?"  
"To stop Ipos," Castiel said.

Nathaniel eyed Castiel. Dean and Bobby watched as Castiel continued to try to talk his way out of the situation. When Bobby was sure they weren't watching him, he ducked around the back of the truck to where Sam was. He noticed Sam's palm was bloody and he'd splattered the beginnings of a symbol on the truck. Sam caught Bobby's eyes.

"It's a sigil," Sam explained.  
"I know what it is," Bobby said indignantly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a scrap piece of paper with a drawing on it. A drawing of a sigil. "See this? Draw it like that."

He handed the paper to Sam, who looked suitably impressed. He quickly finished the sigil on the truck. Bobby peered over the bed at the situation on the other side.

"...I'm only watching over them like I'm supposed to," Castiel was saying.  
"They're not needed for this," Nathaniel said. "We can take care of this ourselves."

The group behind Nathaniel pulled out their blades. Dean drew in a breath and prepared to engage. Then he noticed Castiel's hand, waving him back. Was the nerd angel nuts? Dean reluctantly backed up as Castiel turned to urge him behind the truck.

"He's nuts," Dean said to Bobby and Sam when he got there.  
"He's got a plan," Bobby said.

They watched as one of the angels lunged at Castiel. He deftly turned out of the way, and then pressed his hand against the angel's forehead like Dean and Sam had seen him do with demons. The angel's face lit up from within, and the grace inside was quickly sent packing back up to Heaven. The vessel left behind collapsed. The other angels hesitated upon seeing this. Another one finally lunged forward to take on Castiel. He spun away from the lunge, back towards the truck. A third angel stepped up to help trap Cas. Nathaniel was the only other angel left. He trailed the fight, staying a safe distance behind the action.

Castiel ducked away from the sword stabs, disarming one angel and pointing its own weapon back at it. "Sorry," he said apologetically while aiming the weapon at one of his brothers.  
"Castiel, what has gotten into you?" Nathaniel asked from not too far away.  
Castiel shrugged. "Turns out I don't follow direction very well." He turned back to Sam and nodded. "Now," he said.

Sam slapped his palm into the sigil, and a light burst forward. The humans shut their eyes to protect themselves. When the light faded, the vessels were collapsed on the ground. And Castiel was still there. Bobby, Sam and Dean ran out from behind the truck. Sam slapped Castiel on the back.

"Cas!" Dean said. "That was awesome! Who knew you had it in you?"  
Castiel was humble as ever about the new display of power. "I told you I got a nice promotion." He smiled at Dean, who returned the expression.  
"I must have missed something," Sam said, shaking his head in amazement. "How are you still here?"  
"Another time," Castiel said. "They won't be gone for long, and you two need to get to Ankeny."  
"Leave another mess for me to clean up," Bobby muttered.  
"Just tell them the truth," Dean deadpanned. "They'll never wanna come back to this place. Trust me."

Bobby glowered at Dean, and then resigned himself with a shrug. He went to check on the collapsed vessel. Castiel pointed to the Chevelle. No time to lose.

"Ipos will expect you," Castiel said. "But you have the advantage."  
"We have my demonic brother here," Dean said, smiling and putting his hand on Sam's shoulder. Sam rolled his eyes. He already knew where this was going.

_On the road again._

Dean had the accelerator pressed almost all the way to the floor. The Chevelle roared down the highway. The windshield wipers were at full speed. Though it was daylight, the sky was dark grey, nearly black. Omens. He and Sam had grabbed a few hours of sleep to recharge and then taken off for Ankeny.

Sam was trying not to get car sick in the passenger seat as he furiously clicked away on Alex's laptop. "There's a coal mine just outside of Ankeny. Apparently it's one of the deepest mines ever dug, but they had to abandon in it the early part of last century because the mine workers held a protest. Said the mine was haunted," Sam said, shooting a look at Dean. Dean frowned in acknowledgment.

"And get this," Sam continued. "They had four fires that destroyed the town in the 1950s. Plus the town urges residents to drink bottled because the local source is contaminated. This is it, Dean. This is the gate."  
"Maybe they're just concerned about their health," Dean joked. "Bad luck?"  
Sam rolled his eyes. "I'm sure that's it." He clicked the laptop shut and pulled out a map.

Sam directed Dean southeast of town to the abandoned mines. It was afternoon but looked like dead of night outside. Sam rolled down the passenger side window and held out a flashlight, looking off into areas the Chevelle's headlights didn't illuminate.

"That's it," Sam said after a while, shining the light on a sign. It said the mine was 500 feet away. Dean parked the Chevelle. He and Sam exchanged looks.  
"You ready to do this?" Dean asked his brother, trying to pump him up.  
Sam frowned and nodded. "Sure," he said. "Yeah."  
Dean was less than inspired by that reply. "You can do this, Sam," he said solidly to his brother.  
"I know. I just...it's funny," Sam stuttered. "It's always gonna be like this, isn't it? Us? Hunting? It's never gonna end."  
Dean leaned back into his seat a bit. "Probably not."  
"I can't even remember what life was like before it any more," Sam said. "It's weird."  
His brother's face twisted. "I kinda missed it," Dean said. "Hunting. It's what we do, Sammy."  
Sam nodded. "Yeah. It is."


	11. Let's Make A Deal

**Let's Make a Deal.**

Dean's eyes snapped open in the Chevelle. The radio was blasting Credence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising." He switched the radio off. It was dark outside, and he was parked in a vaguely familiar parking lot. The passenger seat was empty. Where was Sam? Dean leaned out the open driver's side window and looked for his brother. He saw no one around. Just one building not too far off with way too many lights on. Goodland. He was back in Kansas.

Confused, Dean leaned back into the car. He was startled to find Alex had materialized in the passenger seat next to him. He quickly realized it wasn't actually Alex.

"I'm dreaming, aren't I?" he asked Raziel.  
The angel nodded at him. "I need to show you something. Follow me." She opened the passenger side door.

Dean did the same on the driver's side. He followed Raziel up to the building. As they got closer he recognized it as the funeral home he and Sam had been at just the day before. They mantled up to the side of the building.

"We're gonna go in," Raziel told Dean.  
"You crazy? We're unarmed!" Dean said.  
"This is just a memory, Dean. They won't be able to see us and we can't interact with them. Think of it like a video," Raziel explained.  
"Whose memory?" Dean asked.  
"Nathaniel's," she answered, and tapped Dean on the forehead.

They were transported into the room. It was the conversation Sam had seen. Nathaniel and a demon were arguing over a table in the center of the room. Ipos stood off to the side.

"Mastema is dead," Nathaniel said. "There are angels who've been called back here. They didn't come alone either. I thought we would be further along than this by now."  
"We have almost all of the angels we need to raise Semiazas's army," Ipos said. "So quit your bitching."  
"You shouldn't have killed off that vessel yet. Now Raziel's gone into hiding and we have no idea where. And she's the only one who knows the alchemy for the Colt bullets," Nathaniel said.  
"That moron couldn't even keep up with the Winchesters after we killed the vessel. Lost them in plain sight," the demon at the table said.  
Nathaniel shot the demon a dirty look. "They have cloaking symbols on their ribs. And Castiel has gone rogue. There was no way I could follow them."  
"Are you sure you weren't just scared?" the demon taunted Nathaniel. "Should have just killed them off right there. Before they disappeared."

"Don't you get it, you idiot? We need them alive," Nathaniel said. "If Lucifer hears that his true vessel is wiped out and in Heaven, who's the first demons he's coming after once he's out of the cage? And if Michael's true vessel is wiped out then the host of Heaven comes after me. We need the Winchesters to think that they've been kicked out of the picture so they come after us, but not until we're ready. Not until we have the right bullets for that gun, and not until Semiazas has the right army ready to try to take down Lucifer, Michael and the rest of the angels. Why do you think I talked Mastema out of taking Azazel down in Kansas all those years ago? We weren't ready."

"Sounds like cold feet to me," the demon snarled.

Nathaniel smashed a fist into the table angrily and the demon countered, sending some trinkets flying. Nathaniel held up a hand, and the demon went crashing back against the wall. "We do this right, this whole chess game ends and we hold all the pawns. We do this wrong and we end up in places worse than the worst thing you could imagine. I didn't come back and set this whole plan in motion just to have some random mouthy demon shut me down now."

Ipos stepped forward and held both hands out. Nathaniel was pushed back against the wall and to the ground. The other demon was released from his grip, but fell down by Ipos's hand. Ipos reached down and grabbed one of the trinkets the demon had knocked off the table. It was a talisman.

"We have the last vessel we need, and all the blood spells held right here," Ipos said to Nathaniel, tapping the talisman. "We can open the gate and bring Semiazas here tonight. Or whenever you decide to grow a pair."  
"Fine. Let's go then," Nathaniel said, getting up slowly.

Dean turned to Raziel.

"So, all of this? Mastema, Ipos, Semiazas, the whole thing, was Nathaniel's idea?" Dean asked.

"I have reason to believe he's acting under someone else's orders," Raziel said. "But I don't know whose. When this is over, maybe I can help Castiel sort it all out. This all started after you and Sam stopped Lucifer. The angels in Heaven who betrayed their loyalties to God got together and decided to try a new plan with a different set of demons. They sent Nathaniel back in time to talk to Ipos and Mastema, both of whom were roaming the Earth. They are trying to change events as you know them. They want to take down Michael, Lucifer, any and all of the angels. You can't let them succeed."

"You seem to have it all figured out," Dean snapped. "Why don't you help us?"  
"Ipos is a powerful demon," Raziel said. "If I show up in a vessel that's mixed bloodlines, he could easily cage me. Even Alex might not be enough against him. Right now there's nothing to keep me alive. They'll drag me to Hell and force me into their army. They need you and Sam alive right now. So you're the best two hunters to do this. Maybe the best two, period."

"What was with that alchemy stuff they were talking about?" Dean asked. "Lucifer told us the Colt can't take him down."  
"It might not be able to," Raziel said. "But you don't use a buckshot to take down a rhino, do you? I know how to make stronger bullets for it. To take down more powerful demons. I don't think any other angels know how to do it. And I will help you make those bullets, Dean. But you need to help me first. That talisman Ipos has? It has all the blood spells in it. Break it. Even if you don't kill Ipos, it will free Alex and the rest of the vessels."  
"Sure. Easy as pie," Dean muttered.  
"I know you can do it, Dean," Raziel said, backing up. As she did, her voice took on an echo. "Now it's time for you to wake up. Dean, wake up! Can you hear me?"

Raziel became blurry. Dean blinked a few times. A bright light flared up, and Dean threw his arm in front of his face to shield himself.

_Ankeny, Iowa._

"Dean? Can you hear me?" Sam was hissing as loudly as he could without yelling. With all the demons sure to be in the area, he didn't want to get too loud. Dean finally shook awake and Sam heaved a sigh of relief. The older Winchester sat up slowly.  
"What happened?" Dean asked groggily.  
"I don't know, man," Sam said. "One minute you were digging around in the trunk, the next you were on the ground like an amateur boxer after the opening bell. KO'ed."  
"How long was I out?"  
"Not long," Sam said. "Maybe a couple of minutes. I was about to abandon you for a coffee."  
"Funny," Dean retorted. "Bitch."  
"Jerk," Sam reflexively responded.

They heard crackling and movement off in the distance. Dean wanted to tell Sam about his dream, but it would have to wait.

Sam reached into the trunk and took out provisions. Dean did likewise.

"Ready to do this?" Dean asked.  
"Not really," Sam sighed. "This is a terrible plan."  
"Yep," Dean agreed. "At least we're in agreement on that. So I take it you're ready?"  
"Yep," Sam said.

_Facing the elevator music._

"Dammit, Sam, wait up!" Dean was calling, trying to keep up with his taller brother's strides. Sam pretended to ignore him, confidently striding towards the entrance to the mine. "We can't just barge in there," Dean said as he caught up to Sam, grabbing him by the shoulder. "We need to be smart about this."

"That's rich coming from you," Sam retorted sharply, and loudly. "So far your plans have gotten Dad killed, me killed and you killed more times than I can count. You know what? I'm sick of your plans. I never get a word in edgewise."  
"OK, OK," Dean hissed, motioning for Sam to calm down and be quiet. "No need to wake up every freaking demon within 50 miles of the place."  
Sam shrugged. "Maybe I don't care if they all come. Maybe I want them to."  
"You don't mean that," Dean said.

Sam shrugged again, looking around. In the darkness he could barely make out anything. He hoped nearby demons were overhearing this. Dean shot him an equally hopeful look. They both hoped they weren't putting on a show with no one else around to hear it. They quickly put their angry faces back on.

The brothers saw a flashlight appear to their right and a man strode up to them.

"Hey there!" he called, shuffling up to them. "You boys lost?"  
"We're looking for a demon, about yay high," Dean half-jokingly demonstrated Ipos's height. "Might have come down this way with a woman in tow?"  
"Demon? You drunk or something?" The man asked. "There's no one around here for miles. Nothing to see here. Why don't you two just head back to town?"  
"Can't do that," Dean said, bringing his gun up to the man's face. "Sam..." Dean waited for Sam to start latinating.

Instead, Sam came up beside Dean and shot him a dirty look. Alarmed, Dean gave his brother a confused look. Before Dean could take any action, Sam butted his brother over the head with his shotgun. As Dean collapsed to the ground in a heap Sam watched the other man's eyes flip beetle black.

"I want to talk to Ipos," Sam said. "Consider this my good faith gesture." He motioned to his unconscious brother.

The demon weighed its options. After a few moments it nodded, and picked up Dean to drag him into the mine. Sam followed slightly behind. Worst plan ever, he thought to himself.

Sam heard voices inside the mine. He wasn't sure how much of the ritual they'd missed. He heard the crackle of fire and the smell of smoke filled his nostrils. There was an elevator down into the mine on the left and to the right a group gathered around a fire in a prep room. Ipos was in the middle of the group, standing over a table with a few candles on it. He was holding something in his hand. A talisman.

The demon dragged Dean to the far side of the room and dumped him on the ground. Just as the Winchesters had hoped. Sam watched as the demon searched Dean for weapons, taking out his gun and Ruby's knife. Then it came back to Sam and shook him down. Sam willfully handed over his shotgun. The demon found a knife inside Sam's jacket as well. The demon took the weapons over to Ipos. As the crowd parted to let it in, Sam saw Joey tied to a chair next to Ipos. She looked unconscious. Her head was slumped forward with her hair over her face. Ipos placed the weapons and talisman on the table and moved through the crowd to face Sam.

"Sam," he said in a disappointed tone. "I thought we agreed you were not a suitable candidate for this ritual."  
Sam recoiled. "I didn't come here to stop you," he said.  
"I'd say that plan failed anyway," Ipos said, heading back towards his sacrificing bowl.  
"You're right about the angels you know," Sam called. "They're jerks. They convinced me and my brother to say yes, just to settle some dumb sibling rivalry. And they'll never leave us alone. I'm just tired."

Sam's gaze was locked on Ipos, who turned away. The demon went back to the fire and motioned for another demon to step up. It did, and Ipos quickly slit the demon's throat and bled him out into a chalice. The demon eventually collapsed as Sam watched in horror. After a few more steps in the ritual Ipos turned back to Sam.

"So you changed your mind then? You want to lead an army now?" Ipos asked.  
"I just want it to be over," Sam said. "I don't care how it happens anymore."  
Ipos considered Sam's offer to surrender. "What about your brother?"  
"He wants to keep fighting. I don't agree."

Off to the side of the group, Dean opened one eye to a slit, just enough to the light in. Then a bit more. He peered around from his vantage point on the ground. The entire group of demons, all five or so of them, seemed focused on Sam and Ipos. Assured no one was watching Dean opened the other eye. He felt around in his jacket. The demon had taken Ruby's knife from him, but tucked inside a zippered pocket was the ivory curved-handled knife that could put Ipos away. He palmed it and slowly sat up, watching the group around the fire intently the whole time. Five demons was less than he'd predicted but would still be a lot for Sam and him to handle. He plotted how to take them down.

Ipos lifted the chalice and began chanting. As he did, Joey groaned and lifted her head up, and then back in the chair. As Ipos continued, the five remaining demons stood in a circle around Ipos, facing him. One by one, a small blast of light pierced their skulls and each demon collapsed. Sam and Dean had seen a similar ritual performed by Lucifer once before. It was not good. Slowly smoke began to escape the body of each demon, circling around Ipos and Joey.

"How about a little test then?" Ipos called back to Sam. "Ready to spill some blood?"

Sam ruminated for a few moments to stall, and then slowly approached Ipos. The demon handed Sam Ruby's knife and held Joey's head back. Semi-conscious, her eyes opened and rolled back.

Dean crawled up to the table, trying to stay out of Ipos's peripheral vision. He reached up by feel, looking for a weapon to grab. He felt something and instinctively took hold. Suddenly Dean felt himself grabbed by invisible forces. Ipos pushed Dean away from the circle as Sam watched.

"Did you have a nice nap, Dean?" Ipos asked. "Were you ever actually knocked out?"

Ipos smashed Dean into the wall in the back of the room. Cringing in pain, Dean checked his hands to see what he's managed to grab. It was the talisman. Laughing, he held it up for Ipos to see. The demon's face dropped. Dean spun the talisman by its chain a few times to rev up, and then smashed it into the hard stone floor. It smashed, releasing black smoke that sank into the ground. The blood spells were undone.

"I knew I should have killed you when I had the chance," Ipos said, starting to move towards Dean.

The demon twisted his fist and Dean started choking. Smoke was still circling Ipos and Joey with Sam just outside. Sam lunged forward, grabbing the demon from behind. He smashed Ipos down into the ground and then pushed the demon's head down hard. Sam pulled him back up by the hair. The grip on Dean released, allowing him to stand and run over to Sam. He quickly pulled the ivory-handled knife.

"Here goes nothing," Dean said, and plunged the knife into Ipos's neck.

The demon screamed, and a reddish light lit up its face momentarily. Then the demon's host body went limp as Ipos died.

Sam let go of the body and stood up. He ran over to Joey. Dean grabbed their guns off the table.

"You alright?" Sam said, pulling Joey to her feet gently.  
"No," she said, rubbing her arm.  
Dean joined them. "How did you end up here?" he asked Joey.  
"I don't know," she said. "I waited for a few hours after you boys left. Then I got a call to come to Goodland to meet up with my contact. When I got there a pack of demons was waiting instead."  
"I'm just glad you're OK," Sam said. "Let us help you back."  
"Where you boys off to? Maybe I can help?" Joey asked.

To both Joey and Sam's surprise, Dean brandished his gun.

"Don't tell her anything, Sam."  
"What are you doing?" Sam protested.  
"You said you headed to Goodland to meet up with your contact. How'd you beat us there?" Dean asked.  
Joey shrugged. "Guess I knew a shortcut you boys didn't."  
"Yeah, I'll bet you did," Dean said. "Some of that good ol' demon hoodoo, right?"

Joey smirked. "OK, you got me. Right after you left, these two men knocked on the door. Said they were there to pick me up," she said. "Next thing I know I'm sitting in this meatsuit and listening to that fool try to open a gate," she said, motioning in Ipos's direction.

Dean and Sam watched in horror as Joey's eyes turned into liquid black pools.

"Thanks for taking care of Mastema and Ipos for me by the way. They had outlived their usefulness."  
"Semiazas. How long have you been in Joey?" Sam demanded to know.  
"Not too long. This poor thing, she's been around the demon block, hasn't she?" Semiazas said. "She makes a nice host though. Almost used to it by now."

Sam charged Joey and landed a punch to her face. Dean pulled him back and aimed the gun back at Joey.

"Tell ya what, I like it when you boys do my dirty work for me," Semiazas said. "And the way I hear things you boys are gonna try to take care of Lucifer too. That's great. I like the idea of taking him on weakened. I think I'll lay low until after that. Unlike those two, I can wait."

Before Sam or Dean could see anything, Semiazas-in-Joey grabbed the gun her captor had been holding and slammed each of the boys in the head with it. When they woke up she was long gone. Dean shook his head and took out his cellphone to call Castiel.

_Lush Coastal Rainforests of Central South Dakota._

At an open area in Great Bear Park, Castiel materialized in a small cluster of trees. Just in front of him, several trees had very recently fallen. An inquisitive group of onlookers had gathered and, deciding the fallen trees were an odd coincidence, had selected that area as their play spot. Around him, children ran around playing games as a cluster of parents sat on fallen tree trunks in the sun.

There was a patch of recovering mud, dirt and earth that had been recently disturbed. A child was pushing a bulldozer along the top it, complete with sound effects. When a small patch of dirt began to rise and fall, he quickly ran the bulldozer over it to press the ground down. It continued to move on its own. The mud split apart slightly and more of the ground began to move.

"Mom!" The child called, quickly jumping up and running away. He ran to his mother and pointed back to the spot where he'd been playing.

Castiel saw this unfold and knew that was the spot. He approached the earth as it continued to breathe. A small group watched him from a seemingly safe distance. A hand broke through the earth and reached up. Castiel grabbed it and pulled upwards. The ground rose and then broke apart as Castiel pulled Alex out. She cleared the emergence hole and fell to her knees on the ground, coughing.

A stunned group of onlookers watched this all unfold. A concerned parent grabbed his child and quickly backed away.

Castiel helped Alex to her feet and dusted her off. Mud remained caked to her. Cas tapped her on the forehead and she disappeared. He himself vanished shortly after, leaving a confused group of people and a six-foot hole in the ground.

Dean laid down rubber turning into Bobby's. He sloppily parked the Chevelle, threw the car into park and practically exited the car while it was still running. Sam grabbed his laptop from the back seat and followed Dean to the house.

"Calvary's here!" Dean called as he entered the house.

He and Sam made their way into the den. Bobby was slumped over his desk. Castiel stood in front of one of the bookcases. Alex sat on the bench in front of the window, freshly showered. She looked at them with an empty stare. The Winchesters knew right away something was off.

"You didn't have to come all this way to thank us," Dean snarked at Raziel.  
"I made a promise to you and I intend to keep it," Raziel replied.  
"I made one too, to Alex," Dean said. "She alright in there?"  
"She's fine," the angel replied, standing up.  
"Bobby OK?" Sam asked.  
"He's fine too. But he's not going to remember anything having to do the Winchesters from the future when he wakes up."

Dean shot an angry look at Castiel. His friend shrugged in return. Nothing he could do.

Spotting his amulet still around Raziel's neck, Dean stepped forward to take it back. "Guess you won't be needing that anymore," he said. Raziel put her hand over Dean's and smiled.

"Just a few more minutes," she said. She stood up and walked to the kitchen.

Sam, Dean and Castiel followed. Raziel took a pan out from the stove drawer and set it on one of the burners. She turned on the burner and set the heat to high. She turned the oven knob to preheat.

Sam and Dean exchanged looks.

"Making us a celebratory dinner?" Sam asked.  
"Sort of," Raziel said. "Can you grab me that mold off the kitchen table please?"

Sam went to the kitchen table and found a mold in the shape of six bullets. He brought it over to Raziel. Castiel watched the exchange, intrigued. The pan started to give off heat. Raziel took a hex bag out of her pocket and opened it. Inside were what looked like minerals. She dropped them into the pan, held her hand over it, and gave a command in Enochian. The fire under the pan intensified and the minerals began to melt. She took off the amulet and removed it from its string. Then she dropped it in too. Dean grimaced.

The metals melted and mixed together. Raziel never took her eyes off the pan. Castiel moved closer to the stove to get a better look. The Winchesters inched forward too. Raziel lifted the pan, mixing the elements together until they bled from three colors into one. When the mixture was complete, the soup bubbled and gave off steam. She quickly took the pan to the mold and poured the mixture into each of the six molds. Then she put them in the oven.

"A parting gift for you," she said to the Winchesters.  
"Where are you going?" Dean asked.  
"Not me, you," she said. "You're going back to where you came from. For now the threat is over. And these bullets - for the Colt - will be waiting for you here at Bobby's when you need them. In a familiar glove compartment. Did you tell Sam everything you saw when we last met?"  
"In the dream? Yeah," Dean said. "So things are changing from here on out, then? Because I'm gonna notice not having that amulet around."  
"No, you won't," Raziel replied with a small smile. "Castiel helped me slip a replacement to your past self a couple of weeks ago."  
Sam frowned. "I guess we know why the God GPS didn't work now."

Dean pursed his lips and agreed.

Raziel nodded. "It's time for you two to go back. I have some things to discuss with Castiel. He'll follow not too long after."  
"We promised Alex we'd make sure she's OK," Sam insisted.  
"She's fine," Raziel assured him. "You guys did what I needed you to do."  
"What about Nathaniel?" Dean asked.  
"That's part of what I have to talk to Castiel about. And no offense, but you guys aren't a part of that."  
"The hell we're not," Dean said.  
Raziel put her hand up, and neither Dean nor Sam could move. "The time will come for you to finish this job. But that time has not come today. When it does, you'll know."

She walked towards Sam and Dean, and placed a hand on each of their foreheads. "Thank you," she said. "Sorry about the rough landings when you both arrived back in time. I'll try to do better this time." Everything around them faded into a white light. The last thing the Winchesters saw were the .

_Cicero, Indiana._

Dean awoke with a start, feeling the world spin around him. He sat up slowly, groaning. Once again he found himself next to a tree, a tall oak. But this time at least he wasn't in a crater below ground level. He got himself up to his feet and looked around. It was either late afternoon or early morning. After some internal compass adjustment he decided it was early morning. Dean wasn't sure exactly where he was at first. He exited the cluster of trees and found himself near the Bear Slide Golf Course. Not too far of a walk from where he'd last parked his truck. Assuming it was when he thought it was.

He started walking up East 75th Street. His phone rang. He snapped it open.

"Yeah?" he said gruffly.  
"Dean?"  
"Sam?"  
"Yeah."  
"Where are you?"  
"Uh, Noblesville. Indiana. Where are you?"  
"Cicero. Don't move. I'll come pick you up."  
"K."

Dean picked up the pace. He ended up at the construction site. His truck was waiting for him, just where he'd left it. He hopped into the cab, grabbed the keys out of the glove compartment and fired it up. Then he headed south towards Noblesville. When he got to where Sam was, it took his brother a moment to recognize Dean.

"Where's the Impala?" Sam said with a slight degree of shock as he jumped into the cab.  
"Sold it for scrap metal," Dean said with a sly grin.

Sam's eyes went wide, showing the whites.  
"No, not really," Dean quickly said. "She's safe at Bobby's. Under a tarp."  
Sam got in and buckled up. He looked to the radio. "Is that...an iPod dock?" he asked incredulously.  
Dean shrugged. "Ben likes to listen to old AC/DC. The radio stations around here suck," Dean said.  
Sam bitchfaced. He wished he had one of his emo albums with him for payback.

_Pig 'N A Pokeless Diner._

After confirming that they were in fact in 2010, Dean and Sam each had a coffee in front of them. Every so often one of them would take a sip. They were still trying to reconcile the events of what to them were the past few weeks. To the rest of the world, everything was the same and not much time had passed at all.

"Heard from Cas?" Sam asked Dean.  
"Nope," Dean replied.

Sam scratched his head. He processed their options. He shrugged.

"You think it means something, that we got plucked from now, back to then, and then sent back to now?" Dean asked, hoping that made sense.  
"You think this is when Semiazas makes his reappearance?" Sam asked in return.  
Dean nodded.  
"I think so too," Sam agreed.  
"Well, if Cas isn't here, then I know of one other person who might be able to help us," Dean said.  
"Alex," Sam agreed. "Wish I had my laptop."

Dean pointed at Sam to wait, and then reached into the bag he had with him. He pulled Sam's laptop out.

"Huh? Huh?" Dean said proudly as he handed it over to Sam.  
"Should I be worried about viruses?" Sam asked.  
"Not the kind you get on a computer," Dean cracked.

Sam rolled his eyes and opened the laptop. He started researching Alexis Parker.

An hour and a half later, he still hadn't found anything recent. The last information he could find was from late 2008, when she checked into a hospital in Nebraska. Dean told Sam to try Tom Bello. Sam wasn't able to find much recent info on him either. In 2005 he'd plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter and served 2 years in a state penitentiary followed by 9 months in a halfway house. His last known address was in Omaha from 2008.

"I say we head that way," Dean said.

Sam agreed.

_Omaha, Nebraska._

Dean and Sam pulled up in front of Tom Bello's last known address. On the way Dean had filled Sam in on who Tom was. And what he was. They were in FBI suits just in case. No way of knowing whether Tom would remember Dean. And if he did remember Dean, no way of knowing what his reaction would be to seeing Dean again.

"This place is familiar," Dean said. "It's where his parents lived."  
"Well, guess we oughta check it out," Sam said, exiting the truck.

They walked up to the front porch. The EMF in Sam's pocket stayed quiet. Sam knocked on the door. "Hello," he called in. "Tom Bello?"

They waited. Nothing. They knocked again.  
"Sir," Dean tried. "We'd like to talk to you about Alex Parker."

Still nothing.

"He's not there," a voice finally called from not too far away. The neighbor, an older man.  
"Is this where Tom Bello lives?" Sam asked.  
"Yes, but he's away right now," the neighbor said.  
"Do you know when he's coming back?" Sam asked.  
"Yeah. Monday. He's at the Nebraska Medical Center, just like he is every weekend."

The Winchesters traded looks. They thanked the neighbor and headed back to Dean's truck.

"That's Alex's last known location," Sam said as they climbed in.

_Nebraska Medical Center._

Still in their FBI suits, agents Tyler and Perry found out that Alexis Parker was a patient in the mental ward, and had been there since late 2008. The head doctor grudgingly allowed them to visit the patient.

"We're not concerned about dangerous patients, doc," Dean said. "We've seen them before."  
The doctor eyed Dean. "She's hardly dangerous. Just don't expect her to carry on a conversation with you either."

They walked through the ward and to a quiet wing. An orderly showed them to Alex's room. The door was already open. Alex was in a wheelchair, facing the television. Her back was to Dean and Sam.

"Ms. Parker," Dean said sternly for good effect.

The orderly scoffed, shot Sam a look and left the room.

Dean approached Alex. "Alex," he whispered, bending down to be at eye level with her.

Sam moved in closer as well.

Dean twisted himself to face Alex. She continued to stare straight ahead, at the television. Dean's face fell. Sam bent down and saw the same. He waved a hand in front of Alex's face. Nothing. Dean shook her lightly. No response. Her body was there, but it appeared her mind was gone. Sam watched his brother's body sag. Dean's face turned stony.

"I can't fucking believe it," Dean said. "But I should have known."  
"At least she's alive," Sam tried.  
"You call this alive?" Dean asked. "She's one vegetable short of a salad. Who knows if she's actually awake in there or not?"  
"Probably not," Sam lamented.  
"They use them and then they dump 'em," Dean said angrily. "Angels are dicks."  
"Maybe Cas can help her," Sam said after a minute.  
Dean, who'd been pacing in front of the window, stopped. "You think?" He asked optimistically.  
"I don't really know," Sam said. "But maybe he could, or Bobby. I just...don't want to leave her like this."  
Dean nodded in agreement. "Alright, we're busting her out."  
"You don't just want to bring them back here?" Sam asked.  
"No, I think we take her with us. Now."  
Sam stood up and nodded. "Think you can manage that thing yourself?" he asked of the wheelchair.

Dean nodded.

"OK," Sam said. "Meet you out front in 2 minutes." He went outside the room to the waiting orderly and started asking questions. As he asked, Sam led the orderly down the hall and away from the room.

Once they were out of earshot, Dean leaned out of the room to check the area. There were two nurses in the hall he was sure he could sweet talk. No one else. Alex wasn't hooked up to any machines which made it easier. He carefully wheeled her out into the hallway, and took off in the opposite direction from the way Sam had led the orderly. Dean made it through one set of double doors, staring straight ahead and trying not to make eye contact with anyone. That plan was blown in the next hallway as he wheeled by a security guard staring intently at him. Dean met the man's eyes. The guard watched Dean wheel Alex past and then called after them. Dean picked up the pace. The guard started walking after him. Dean started running.

The guard gave chase but Dean was faster. He wheeled Alex around a corner and out of the hospital wing. Sam was already out front waiting. They ran to Dean's truck and Sam started loading Alex in.

"Hurry," Dean urged him, getting into the driver's seat and starting the truck.

Sam was lifting Alex in when he saw what looked like movement in her face An expression. Confusion? Or recognition? She took Sam's arm. He heard yells from security behind him and wheeled around. He saw the guards running their way and he saw the building in an entirely new light.

"Dean," Sam said. "The wing - it's covered in Enochian warding magic!"  
"How can you tell?" Dean asked, squinting to try to see it.  
"It's Alex, she's showing me somehow."  
"Well great," Dean said. "We can play charades later. Can we just get the hell outta here already?"

Sam belted Alex in on the cab's back bench and then slid the passenger seat back into place. He climbed into the truck and Dean quickly peeled out of the spot and sped off. The guards were unarmed so they gave chase for a bit before giving up.

"Bobby's?" Dean asked Sam.

"Yeah," Sam said. "You might want to make a stop to trade plates though."

Dean nodded. Then he laughed. "On the road again, Sammy!"


	12. Time Has Come Today

**Time Has Come Today.**

_Lush Coastal Rainforests of Central South Dakota._

Bobby heard a knock at the door. Being mid-afternoon he wasn't too concerned, but then again a hunter never can be too careful. He grabbed a flask of holy water and ambled to the door. He looked through the peep hole and could barely believe what he saw.

He opened the door, eyes wide. Across the threshold stood Dean, Sam, and an unconscious girl in Sam's arms. He hadn't seen the boys in over a year. The girl he didn't know. Instinctively, he splashed holy water on the whole lot of them.

Dean had known it was coming but still grimaced as the holy water splashed him. "Always good to see you too, Bobby."  
Bobby shook his head in disbelief. "You boys come back from the dead more than David Hasselhoff's career." He stood back and allowed them in.

To appease Bobby, Sam and Dean purposely stepped through the Devil's Trap under the rug in the den. Sam set the girl down on the reading bench in front of the window.

"And how'd he get back exactly?" Bobby asked Dean of Sam. "I would ask if you sold your soul but, well..." He handed a small silver knife over to Sam. Sam bitchfaced, but cut himself quickly across the arm to prove he wasn't a shapeshifter. He cleaned the blade and passed it to Dean, who did the same.

"An angel saved me, we think," Sam said. He didn't want to explain to Bobby or Dean the memories that were slowly coming back to him. Besides, it wasn't a lie exactly. He was pretty sure it had to be an angel that got him out.  
"Well good, because we got enough idjit crossroad deals to worry about," Bobby's voice dropped to a mutter at the end as he thought about Crowley. "Is that Cas?" He asked of the girl.  
"No," Dean said. "It's a vessel. Her name is Alex. We were hoping you or Cas could help us wake her up though. You haven't heard from Cas, have you?"  
Bobby shook his head no. "We can try the last number I have for him, if you want."  
"Already tried it," Dean said. "It's cut off."

Bobby leaned over Alex to check on her. He slid open one eye and got no response. He picked up her arm and released it. It fell back to her side.

"What happened to her?" Bobby asked.  
"She had angel in her," Sam said. "And she's been like this ever since it left. We need to talk to her."  
"Archangel?" Bobby asked.  
"No," Dean said. "But a powerful one."  
Bobby exhaled audibly. "I'll see what I can find, I guess. Sounds like nothing but trouble."

Dean motioned for Sam to stay with Alex, then followed Bobby into the kitchen. Bobby got him a beer from the fridge and took one for himself.

"It's like a convention," Dean joked. "Every year at least one Winchester shows up on your doorstep back from the dead. This year you get a two-fer!"  
"Sam all there?" Bobby asked.

Dean nodded.

"He got any of that demon blood left in him?"  
"Doesn't seem like it," Dean said. "I don't know. It's like he's changed a bit, but he's still mostly the same old grumpy, lovable Sam."

They each took a swig of beer.

"Guys!" Sam called from the den. "You probably want to see this!"

Bobby and Dean abandoned their beers and ran back to the den. Alex was sitting up on the bench as Sam supported her back. She had a hand to her face. But she was consciously moving. After a few moments she wiped the hair from her eyes and looked around.

"Sam?" She said as she saw him first. She smiled. He returned it nervously. She continued to look around the room. "Dean? Bobby?"  
"Have we met before?" Bobby asked.  
"Do you know where you are?" Dean asked at the same time.  
"Yeah," Alex said in response to both with a laugh. "I guess the question is...when am I?"  
"It's 2010. September," Sam said.  
"No frickin way," Alex said, taking it in. "Did I just get here...or have I been out this whole time?"  
Dean and Sam confirmed it was the latter.  
"What's the last thing you remember?" Dean asked.  
"Fall of 2008. Dean Winchester is saved - I remember hearing that." Alex nodded as she recalled it. "And I was still playing Heavenly host to Raziel."  
"The whole time after we left?" Sam asked is disbelief.  
"Most of it, I guess," Alex said. "I don't remember all of it...it was terrible. The things I saw; the things I did. I didn't want to remember any of it. Raziel was ordered to flee once the seals started breaking. Sounds like she dumped me somewhere."  
"You were in Nebraska," Sam told her. "In a hospital that was covered in Enochian warding magic."

Alex thought for a moment, trying to put the pieces together. She shrugged. Didn't ring a bell.

"Is anyone gonna fill me in here?" Bobby interjected. "Or are y'all just gonna keep rolling on this damned vessel Class of '09 reunion?"

Dean started to explain, when his phone rang. It was Cas. Dean told him to get to Bobby's as soon as he could. Then he waited for Castiel to materialize next to him. A few moments later they all heard the door slam. Bobby picked up the silver knife Dean had set down. Dean backed himself against the wall the intruder would have to come in through to get the jump on him. Sam set himself in front of Alex protectively.

They relaxed when Castiel walked into the room. Everyone except Alex, who greeted the angel nervously.

"Hi, Castiel," she said anxiously.  
Castiel shot her a stony look.  
"You use the door now?" Dean asked Castiel.  
"I was checking the perimeter," he explained. "To see if you were followed here."  
"Demons?" Bobby asked.  
"Angels," Alex answered.  
"Angels?" Dean asked in echo.  
"You said the hospital had warding magic on it? So angels couldn't get in? If I'm awake, it's because I needed to move so an angel could get to me," Alex said, staring at Castiel. "I'm not doing it again. I don't know if you can take back a 'yes,' but I'm changing my answer to 'no.'"  
"We can argue about this later," Castiel said. "Right now our primary concern is finding that cache of bullets for the Colt. Where is it?"  
"What's going on, Cas?" Dean asked.  
"There is a group of rogue angels preparing to raise Semiazas," Castiel said. "Soon."  
"Semiazas?" Bobby asked. "Commander of a league of half-angel, half-demons Semiazas? Fantastic."  
"With willing angels to act as a cover," Castiel confirmed. "We need to find that cache. Where is it?"  
Alex shook her head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."  
"The bullets for the Colt," Sam said. "The ones Raziel made from Dean's amulet."  
"I don't remember any of that," Alex said. "Really, if I did..." she trailed off, trying to jog her memory.  
"Raziel said she'd leave them in a familiar glove compartment," Sam recalled.  
"You think they're in the Impala?" Dean asked.  
Sam shrugged. "That's the most familiar one we've got. Worth checking out."

Sam and Alex started for the door. Dean shot Castiel an angry look and motioned to Alex. Help us protect her, Dean said without saying it.

"Wait," Castiel said, rolling his eyes. They stopped as he approached. He raised a hand and put it to Alex's ribcage. There was a momentary flash of light, and then Alex doubled over and coughed. "For protection," he said, shooting a look back to Dean. Alex now had the same protective marks on her ribs as Sam and Dean, making her invisible to angels.

Dean nodded in approval. "Thanks, Cas."

Sam, Dean, Castiel, Bobby and Alex were out in the lot behind Bobby's house. They went to the Impala, which was covered by a leaf-strewn tarp and a few puddles of water.

"Did you miss me, baby?" Dean asked as he approached. The car didn't answer.

With Sam's help Dean peeled the tarp back. The Impala shone in the twilight. Bobby tossed Dean the keys and he unlocked the car. Sam opened the passenger door and started fishing through the glove compartment. He shoved aside cell phones, a gun, the car registration, an ancient bag of chips and a few maps.

"It's not here," he called.  
"Yeah, I'm not surprised," Dean said, leaning over the driver's side door. "We woulda noticed a bunch of bullets in there."  
Sam stepped out of the car and shut the door. "So what, you think it's in one of the other cars?"  
"Maybe it means something else? Like...a box or something? I dunno, Bobby, you keep a stash of gloves somewhere?" Dean asked.  
"Oh yeah, I got three pairs of rubber gloves and then I keep my pretty flower gardening gloves hung up next to my Readers Digests," Bobby cracked.  
"Super," Dean replied. "Let's start there. Bobby, Cas, come check the house with me. Sam, you and Alex check out here?"

Sam nodded.

_Wild Goose Chase._

They searched for hours.

Dean, Bobby and Cas searched around the house. The sun had set and it was the middle of the night. In the basement. On the main floor. Upstairs in any room that wasn't boarded up. Bobby was shuffling books, papers, and furniture around on the main level. Castiel was pacing around the kitchen. Dean was combing through the basement.

Sam and Alex were still outside. They methodically made their way through the rows, searching any car that would open while initially ignoring the stacks of smashed cars. Car after car, they checked glove boxes and trunks and found nothing. Alex was moving along rapidly and practically had her moves down to a science as she entered and checked her 47th car of the night. Nothing.

She got back out of the car and almost walked right into Sam, who was waiting over her with two beers.

"Need a break?" he asked, handing her one.  
"Yeah," she said. "Thanks."

Sam popped the caps off both beers and handed her one.

"Find anything interesting so far?" Alex asked.  
"Oh yeah, some flasks, a few flesh mags, one empty wallet, lots of kid's toys, real great stuff," Sam replied. "You?"  
"About the same. Funny how much you can tell about a person by what they have in their car."  
"Spend as much time as Dean and I do in a car, it's like your whole life is in there." Sam sounded a bit bittersweet as he said it. He laughed to ease any tension.

Alex smiled weakly.

"It's weird seeing you guys now. It was kind of like you guys were ghosts for awhile there," she said. "And being out for two years...I mean, I know what I missed because Dean told me about it all in 2005. But seeing you both here now is surreal."  
"Tell me about it. It feels like 5 years for you, but for me and Dean it feels like we just let 2005 two days ago."  
"I wonder how much you guys changed by going back," Alex mused.  
"Not much, it feels like. My parents still died, Azazel still came after me, Dean still went to Hell, I killed Lilith, I said yes to Lucifer..." Sam sighed. "Seems like the only thing that's different is that we knew to find you."  
Alex snorted. "Lotta good that did. Knowing what I do now, I wish I could have warned you back then."  
"Knowing what I do now, I wish I wouldn't have answered my apartment door at Stanford when you knocked," Sam teased.

They both laughed.

"Yeah. I can't believe Dean made me do that. I can't believe that was 5 years ago!" Alex lamented.  
"What do you remember from the last 5 years anyway?" Sam asked.  
"A lot of errand running. Raziel was helping to coordinate watchers. They're like angels that report back on certain people's actions to Heaven. Then Heaven decides if or when to intercede. We were watching you and Dean at one point."  
"Really? When?"  
"When that hunter Gordon was coming after you. You guys took care of it though so we backed off. I mean, Castiel had been watching you guys for a long time and he stayed. But after Gordon was dead Raziel moved on to another task."  
"So you were like a Heavenly coordinator? Doesn't sound so bad to me," Sam said.  
"That part wasn't so bad," Alex said. "But there was a lot of dissent. There were factions building in Heaven. Angels started chasing Raziel, trying to capture or kill her. We were running all the time. She killed other angels. Sometimes in their vessels. I watched people die and there was nothing I could do about it. After awhile I couldn't figure out who was right or wrong anymore. And I didn't want to be a part of it."  
"And you went black the day Dean came back from Hell?" Sam asked.

Alex nodded. "By then the group of angels that had taken over was working to start the Apocalypse. Raziel went into hiding with a few other angels. Somewhere I couldn't go. So I asked to go home. I guess I got my wish, in a manner of speaking."  
"Unreal. It's like the angels abandoned the fight. So much for watching over us," Sam said.  
"A lot of angels stayed behind to fight. Cas for one," Alex noted.  
"Right," Sam said. "Yeah, I guess they're not all dicks."  
Alex laughed. "Besides Sam, you've always had someone watching over you."  
"Having some demon watching you your whole life isn't something to brag about," Sam countered.  
"Not a demon," Alex said. "Your brother. Dean's always watched out for you, just like you do for him. You guys don't know how lucky you are. Being an only child and an orphan, I can attest to it."  
Sam thought about it for a minute. "I guess he does have a certain loyal quality to him that comes in pretty handy every now and then," he deadpanned.  
"And he drives a cool car," Alex teased back.  
"Yeah, he should really let me drive more often."  
"Right, every once in awhile," Alex agreed. "I think he lets you drive more than you know."

Sam side-eyed Alex. She was looking at the rows of cars.  
"Anyway, I'm glad you guys didn't forget about me," she said.

Their beer bottles both empty, Sam and Alex returned to the hunt. They wove through rows of cars and occasionally called out an interesting find to each other. No sign of the bullet cache. Sam grew weary and was ready to give up. He decided to run through one more row and then call it a night. His next car had a tarp over it. He quickly found the bungee and released it, then pulled the tarp back. A familiar sight greeted him - the Chevelle Dean had been cruising around in while time displaced in 2005.

"Hey, Alex," Sam called. "Come here."  
Alex ran over. "Hey! No way. That thing's been here the whole time?"  
"I guess so," Sam said, trailing the roofline with his hand. "It wouldn't have meant anything to us until now though."

Alex asked if it was unlocked. It was. Sam slipped into the passenger's seat and opened the glove box. A small case slipped out. Sam caught it and opened it. Inside were 6 bullets - the ones they'd been looking for.

"Good job," Alex congratulated him.  
"Yahtzee," Sam said.

_Back at the ranch._

Bobby had the registration for the Chevelle out. Though the car wasn't originally hers when Dean boosted it, they found the it was titled to Alexis Parker at her parents' address in Omaha and had been since Bobby found it on his lot in 2005.

"You're telling me your drove that base frame Chevelle all these years when you had that beauty sitting in your lot?" Dean asked, in shock.  
"Wasn't mine. Granted I had no idea how it got here..." Bobby trailed off for a moment. "But statute of limitations is seven years. So I tarped her up and waited for the owner to claim her. Forgot it after awhile I suppose."  
"We have the bullets, but do we have the Colt?" Castiel asked, changing the subject.  
"Yeah, I got it," Bobby said. He went over to the fireplace and removed the slip to a hollow area of the mantle. Inside was his hunting journal, a few papers and the Colt. He took the gun out and placed on a table next to the cache.  
"These bullets," Castiel said, opening the cache, "Will kill angels or demons." It was a distinction not lost on anyone else.  
"What are we up against here, Cas?" Sam asked.  
"The angel you met while time displaced - Nathaniel - is now leading a group of rogue angels," Castiel said. "Previously the group had been loyal to Zachariah, though I don't think he was leading the pack. I've been tracking them since the Apocalypse. Nathaniel knows I've been tasked with cleaning up Heaven but I'd led him to believe that my loyalties didn't necessarily dictate me preserving Heaven to accomplish that task. Unfortunately that cover was blown when we sent his gang of four packing last time we saw him."  
"So he's not exactly expecting Christmas cards from you," Dean said.

Castiel shook his head.

"I wasn't working alone in it, though," Castiel said. "Nathaniel has been led to believe that Raziel is a required part of the ritual to raise Semiazas."  
"Awesome, whose brilliant idea was that?" Alex asked sarcastically.  
"Raziel's," Castiel intoned.

Alex sagged in defeat.

"Do we know where this whole shindig is going down?" Dean asked.  
Castiel shook his head. "Not yet."  
"If they're planning on raising a demon like Semiazas there's got to be other demons in the area. Whole lot of demon activity in southeastern Nebraska lately," Bobby said, and then snapped his fingers as he recalled something. "A group of hunters called me about a week ago looking for lore on familiar spirits." He went over to his bookcase and pulled out two books. "They'd found a hunter who had a demon laying latent inside. They were in the middle of a hunt when it woke up. Standard exorcism didn't work. Needed to use a hot brand first to break any binding..."

Bobby thumbed through one of the books until he found the page he wanted. Once he had it he handed it off to Sam, who read while Alex peered in from the side. Then Bobby opened the second book to a marked page on destroying angels. He handed that book to Dean, who read it over with Castiel over his shoulder. Castiel looked confused.

"Destroying angels act upon the will of God," Castiel said.  
"Yeah, so?" Bobby retorted.  
"These angels - they're not acting under God's orders." Castiel looked perplexed.

"All I know is that the group of hunters in Nebraska found some demon with red eyes and a nasty pair of stubby wings that they didn't know hot kill. Then later they found a corpse stabbed by curve-edged blade with an ivory handle, and burned into the ground was what looked like a burned up pair of angel wings. They took the knife, tried it on that demon, and it worked." Bobby folded his arms as he finished.

Sam's eyes lit up. "So that's how they were convincing angels to willingly join Semiazas's army," he said. "They must have convinced those angels that this was what God wanted."  
"Zachariah always talked about how God had left the building," Dean said.  
"Yeah, but I bet it wasn't too hard to convince them that God had ordered this to happen before coming back. He stayed out of the Apocalypse, right? And now Heaven and Hell are both in disarray? I'd wait for it to get sorted out too," Sam reasoned.  
"So they tell the angels it's the quickest way to paradise on Earth - or whatever - and they fall into line like the good little soldiers they are because they think they're helping Daddy out," Dean quipped. "The only thing worse than a self-righteous angel is a cocky self-righteous angel."  
"Then they raise Semiazas and wipe out Heaven instead," Sam said. "And because the angels are bound to demons, there's nothing they can do to stop them."  
"Which means the last people they're gonna want to see are Lucifer and Michael's true vessels," Dean concluded. "Two pretty good candidates to stop them."  
"Yep," Sam agreed.  
"Which is exactly why we should be there."  
"Yep."

Dean smiled. It was one of those rare moments when he and Sam were on the same page. The rest of the team, however, looked baffled.

"You boys really think you can take out one powerful demon and his merry band of monsters? Can't imagine there'll be less than 10 of them," Bobby predicted.  
"We'll need help. But we have an idea," Dean said, nodding towards Sam.

The group spent a few hours explaining, planning and strategizing. By the time the morning sun crept in through Bobby's windows, they had a solid plan in place.

The Impala was in the garage. Dean had it raised up slightly on jacks and was underneath it. Just checking his baby to make sure it was ready. On the next jack over, the Chevelle was being prepped for its next road trip. Alex and Sam had the hood popped and were inspecting it for readiness. The engine looked fine, but the spark plugs needed to be replaced.

"You gotta gap the points," Alex told Sam as she handed a new spark plug to him.  
"I know," Sam replied tritely. "Hand me that matchbook."  
Alex handed it over to him, impressed.  
"I thought you said your brother didn't know much about cars," Alex said to Dean. "Seems like he's got plenty down."

Dean rolled out from under the Impala. He wiped his face, spreading oil across it. Alex threw him a towel.

"Where did you pick up this sudden wealth of grease monkey knowledge anyway?" Dean asked as he cleaned himself off.  
Sam finished setting the spark plug. "From Dad," he said.

Alex watched Dean's face turn from confused to curious. Suddenly feeling like a third wheel, she made her exit.

"I'm gonna go see if Bobby has anymore 5w 30," she said, and left the boys to talk more about Sam's experiences in 1983.

She made her way into the kitchen where Bobby and Castiel were working on hex bags for the group.

"We still have to take care of that one too," Bobby said, nodding in Alex's general direction.  
"We'll need something that will burn brightly for an extended length of time," Castiel said.  
Alex was still holding a spark plug. "This should work," she chimed in. "Got any magnesium powder in this place?"  
Bobby nodded. "That should work," he agreed.

_Hastings, Nebraska._

Bobby had called the pack of hunters to prep for their arrival. The pack was moving southward in Nebraska. They all agreed to meet up in Hastings, the center of the last known demonic activity. Castiel had gone to figure out where the ritual would take place that night and would meet up with them later in the day.

Dean and Sam pulled the Impala into Prospect Park, with Alex and Bobby following closely behind in the Chevelle. The quartet exited their cars and met up in one of the park's open areas. Not too much later, a pickup truck with large fog lights over the grill and two spotlights on top entered the parking lot. A man and a woman got out and started walking towards them.

"Tom?" Alex called, recognizing the man. As he got closer, it was clearly Tom Bello, and he looked shocked to see Alex.  
"Sam?" The woman called to the group. Sam squinted and after a moment could clearly make out Joey Woodson walking towards them.

The two groups convened. Tom hugged Alex. Joey slapped Sam.

"You don't even know what the last two weeks have been like for me," Joey said angrily.  
"I probably deserve that too," Dean admitted.  
"You deserve something all right," Tom said, leaning towards Dean. Alex held him back.  
"Where's the rest of your party?" Bobby asked.  
"Dead," Tom said, easing back to a normal stance. "We lost two in Ogallala about a week ago. And one more two days ago in Kearney."

Everyone was silent for a moment in respect. Tom eyed Alex in amazement.

"Alex. How are you...when did you...?" Tom stuttered out.  
"Just a couple of days ago," Alex said. "I was in Omaha but blacked out for awhile."  
"2008. You'd been out since September 2008," Tom said. "You just showed up on my doorstep one day in bad shape. You weren't making a lick of sense, and then a few hours later you were totally out. I checked you into the hospital but there was nothing the doctors could do. Did you just wake up on your own?"  
"Well, Dean and Sam checked me out of the hospital and then I just kinda woke up," Alex said slowly.  
"They didn't check you out Alex," Tom said. "I got a call from the hospital saying two men posing as FBI agents kidnapped you. I had two friends combing the area looking for you!"  
"They were just trying to help," Alex said.  
"Help, huh?" Tom dismissed her explanation. "You know Joey here? They tried to help her too. Every time Sam over there came near Joey a demon would possess her. He lived in her town for awhile and during that time seven people died. As soon as he left it calmed down. The next time she saw him? Ten more died. Oh, and did you know that those two started the Apocalypse?"  
"Yeah, well we stopped it too, Chuckles," Dean said. "Which is more than I can say for your candy ass."  
"Not exactly Hunter of the Year material, Dean," Tom retorted.  
"Alright, nobody here likes each other, we get it," Bobby interjected. "We can keep crying about abandonment this or Apocalypse that. Or we could sort our damn feelings later and focus on the bigger problem breathing down our neck."

Everyone quieted.

"The four of us need your help," Bobby continued. "Think you can all put on your adult pants and work together for a bit?"

Everyone nodded.

"Well, good."

Bobby motioned for everyone to gather round, and began explaining each group's task to them. After a while Dean felt someone watching him, and turned around to find Castiel not too far off. Dean left the group and met Castiel halfway across the lot.

"There's a park in the southeast corner of town," Castiel said as Dean caught up to him. "That's where the ritual will happen."  
"Looks like we got our version of Animal House in order here," Dean said. "Ready for the Homecoming Parade?"  
Castiel stared absently in response to Dean's reference. "Is Alex ready?"  
"Yeah," Dean said. "Look, Cas, just try to coach her through it a bit. Build up her confidence. This is gonna be pretty scary for her."

Castiel nodded. Dean slapped the angel on the shoulder and went to grab Alex. Sam came over with them as well.

"Alex," Castiel said when they returned. "In the event that this plan doesn't succeed, I will be sure to put in a good word on your behalf in Heaven."  
Alex's eyes grew wide. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"  
"He doesn't mean that," Dean said quickly. "Well, not like that anyway. This plan is gonna work."  
"We could always put in another plant as Raziel," Sam offered.  
"No, it's OK," Alex said, face in hands. "Honestly, I have heard that you guys rack up some pretty heavy collateral damage, especially with chicks on board, so uh, I'm gonna stick with Castiel. Especially with those kind of rousing speeches."

Dean and Sam nodded, and Sam took a vial out of his coat. He grabbed the book of matches out of his other side pocket, and lit the magnesium powder inside the vial. It caught between the spark plug tips and emitted a bright light, like angel grace. He handed the vial to Alex, who put it around her neck.

"Should last at least a few hours," Sam said.  
Alex nodded.  
"Don't take long," Castiel urged.  
"We'll be there soon," Dean said.

The brothers watched as Castiel and Alex fluttered away and then Sam returned to the group meeting. Dean went to the Impala and took out a serviceman's uniform. He began changing into it.

Bobby went over to the Chevelle and took out a small sacrificing bowl. He dumped the contents of a hex bag into it and began reading a Latin verse. At Bobby's cue, Sam lit the contents on fire with a match.

"Did it work?" Bobby asked, widening his eyes at Sam.  
"Your eyes still look the same to me," Sam said, shaking his head.  
Bobby flipped the page in the book. "Oh, right. Acerbus," he said. His eyes flipped beetle black.  
Sam backed away instinctively. "Uh, yeah, it works."  
Bobby smiled. "Aduro." His eyes returned to normal. "Well, now you have one fake demon as your minion, Samifer. And you know the commands to show it off. Probably won't take them long to figure out it's not real though."  
"Just needs to be long enough," Sam said. "I hope this works."

Bobby repeated the ceremony for Tom.

"Who here needs an amulet to ward off possession?" Bobby asked when he was done.

Tom took one of the amulets and placed it around his neck. Sam and Dean demurred. Joey did too. Sam side-eyed her and she shrugged.

"Guess I finally learned my lesson," she said, and lifted her sleeve to reveal a possession warding tattoo, not too dissimilar from Sam or Dean's.

Sam smiled back weakly.

Tom was tracking a storm on his smart phone. "Looks like they're down near the Good Samaritan Center still, if this thing's any accurate. We're gonna head that way. See you in the park, hopefully with a trail of demons on our tail." He motioned for Joey to follow him.

She wished Bobby and Sam luck and then trotted off to the truck after Tom.

"Guess I'm with them," Dean said, joining Sam and Bobby in his new duds.  
"You be careful, Dean," Bobby said. "Let's try to all make it back in one piece for once."  
"Good luck, Dean," Sam said.  
"You too, Sammy, Bobby. See you soon." Dean turned and headed for the Impala. It roared to life and he followed Tom and Joey out of the lot.

Sam watched the Impala's tail lights disappear.

They got into the Chevelle, Sam behind the wheel, and headed to the southeast part of town. The sun had gone to sleep earlier, and the last light was fading into the night sky.

_The road paved with good intentions._

Dean followed Tom and Joey down a well-lit road. They stopped about a block away from the Good Samaritan center and parked their cars. No one was outside the building. No one seemed to be in the area besides the three of them.

"You sure this is the place?" Dean asked as he got out of the Impala, with Tom and Joey waiting outside. They were each holding bags of rock salt.  
"Yeah, this is it," Tom said. "Strong traces of sulfur all over the front entry, plus a back one too. The demons were here earlier today and I'm sure some of them stayed behind."

Dean popped the trunk and grabbed a bag for himself. They quickly sprinted across the street and to the side of the building. Making their way around back, Dean ripped open his bag of rock salt and poured a line at the back entrance. Joey got the surrounding two windows and Tom took care of the storm cellar. They made their way around the building, salting every exit.

When they met up again at the front door, Tom's eyes were beetle black from Bobby's spell.

"Dude, that ain't right," Dean said.  
Tom smiled. "When in Rome..."  
"Remember, front door is the only line that gets broken," Dean said. "And not until we're in the cars."

Dean and Joey returned to the car for the time being. Tom trotted up the front stairs, and Dean watched as he disappeared inside the building. Joey was in the passenger's seat, fiddling with her gun. Dean watched her for a few moments, amused.

About 10 long minutes later, Joey got a text.

"It's Tom," she recited. "He says there are 10 demons inside and five at the park. The ones at the park are meeting up in a dirt lot across a bridge from an island."  
"Hope that's enough for Sam to go on," Dean said, and took out his own phone to relay the message.  
"Time to crash," Joey said when the next message arrived.

Dean put on his utility serviceman's baseball cap. He trotted up the front stairs of the building and rang the doorbell. No response. After a minute, he rang it again. Joey ran up and hid next to the steps, guns in-hand. A slot on the door opened.

"Sorry, private party," a pair of eyes said from behind the door.  
"Not here for the party," Dean said. "I'm from the county telco, and we got report of sparks and a downed line at your demarc. I just need to come in and check it out."  
"Come back tomorrow," the eyes said. "We're closed for a private party."  
"I would," Dean drawled. "But since this is a government building Central's all up on my ass about this one. Shouldn't take too long but if you don't let me take a look, a whole team will be out here in just a little bit."

The eyes stared Dean down for a moment. Then the slot closed. Dean silently cursed to himself. Then he returned to form as he heard the lock inside slide unlocked. Joey tossed him a shotgun from next to the stairs. Like a house door, the building's door opened inward. As it opened more than a crack, Dean kicked it in, sending the person behind flying backwards.

Dean rushed in with Joey quickly behind. They were careful not to disrupt the salt line at the door. Dean aimed at the demon on the ground.

"So what kind of party is this exactly? Exorcism? Hedonism? Last night on Earth maybe?" Dean asked.  
"Semiazas is already here," the demon said to Dean in a taunting tone. "And you should be a lot more worried about what he's going to do you than me."  
"I don't care," Dean said. "Stopping you is good enough for me right now." He pulled the trigger and the demon yelped as the rock salt bullet hit. Dean looked up and saw Tom barreling towards him.  
"Go, go!" Tom said, waving Dean and Joey back outside.  
"I think we got them riled up!" Joey said, turning Dean around and pointing him to the door.

Dean saw several demons giving chase, and though it wasn't in his nature to run it was in the plan, so he hopped the threshold and the stairs outside and took off in the direction of the Impala. Joey followed a few strides behind. Tom was providing cover, pushing the demons back with rock salt. As he backed his way to the door he dragged his foot to break the salt line.

Tom jumped the stairwell as Dean had and within a few strides caught up to Joey. Dean backed the Impala down the road. He made it to the pair. Tom threw the passenger's door open and jumped in while Joey hopped in behind Dean. Demons raced out of the building giving chase. Dean slammed the accelerator and the Impala roared forward. Tom checked the sideview to make sure the demons were pursuing.

"Looks like we got ourselves a chase, boys and girls!" Tom said, looking at both his passengers.

Joey was wide-eyed, alternating between watching the demons behind them and the road in front of them. She was pitched from side to side as the Impala squealed around corners.

Dean was focused solely on the road ahead. "Was that demon telling the truth about Semiazas already being here?"

"I don't know," Tom admitted. "How could he be...?"  
"That demon those other hunters helped me kick two weeks ago," Joey said. "I'd bet anything it was Semiazas."  
"Wait, that was you?" Dean asked Joey. "You're the hunter Bobby helped?"  
"Yeah," Joey confirmed. "I started getting terrible headaches. Then a couple of weeks ago I blacked out, and when I woke up again I was strapped to a chair under a Devil's Trap."  
"So Semiazas is probably here," Dean said, half-concentrating on the road. "Someone text Bobby - now!"

_Park of dense lushness._

Nathaniel spotted a small but intense glow approaching from the east. Castiel and Alex came into view not long after. They saw Nathaniel and four angels standing around a large fire. They were on an island in the center of a small pond and walked across a wood bridge to join them.

"I was beginning to think you had better plans, Castiel," Nathaniel said. "Good to see you haven't abandoned your brothers like some angels." He cast a wary glare at Alex, whose face remained expressionless as she'd been instructed.  
"As a symbol of fraternity Raziel offers her grace for the ritual," Castiel said, motioning to the vial around Alex's neck. The brightness against the dark night obstructed his view into her eyes. "In return she expects all of the thrones to be protected."  
"Are you serving as her translator now? The wheel and eyes in the sky has no voice of her own?" Nathaniel asked curiously.  
"She's afraid of who might hear her," Castiel said. "This is her stipulation for participating."

Nathaniel stared them both down for a moment before turning his attention back to the four angels before him.

"Brothers, you see what Raziel has done for us," Nathaniel said. "Now it's time for you to do the same. Serve as a destroyer as we have been ordered, and help us to restore Paradise on Earth." He took out a blade, shorter than the angel-killing blades many angels carried but forged from the same silver. He handed it to the first angel in the line.

The angel inhaled deeply, and plunged the blade into his chest. Alex gasped and went slack jaw. Castiel quickly looked at her to warn her to keep quiet. She nodded, trying to avert her eyes from the scene. As the angel cut a hole into his own chest, a light emanated from within. When the hole was large enough the angel reached in and forcefully pulled his grace out. He handed the grace to Nathaniel, and fell to his knees as blood started to pour out. Nathaniel tucked the grace into a vial and capped it. Then he placed his hand on the angel's shoulder, and the wound healed. The angel remained hunched over, recovering. Nathaniel moved on to the next angel.

"Powder," Castiel hissed to Alex.

She took a small pouch out of her pocket and carefully poured the magnesium powder onto the ground just in front of herself and Castiel.

"Done," she whispered back quietly.

Castiel nodded silently in response.

Sam and Bobby split as they walked along the park edge. They could see the angels on an island to the west but weren't ready to crash the party quite yet. After consulting a map Sam and Bobby knew more or less where the demons were staked out. Sam was trying to fake the mannerisms of the devil that had been inside. Bobby tailed behind, and when they got close to the pack of demons he staked himself out behind a tree to wait for his cue.

Sam continued on. He gave himself one last internal pep talk when he saw the demons. Then he forced his face to take on an all too casual demeanor. He had already slowed his stride down to a more deliberate shuffle. One of the demons noticed him and pulled a knife. Sam strode right into the group.

"Hello everyone," Sam said coolly. "Room for one more?"  
The demons turned to stare at him. "Who are you?" One finally asked.  
"That's one of the Winchesters," another demon replied. "Sam."  
"Winchester plus one," Sam said slowly. "And I think you know who the plus one is."  
"Really?" The first demon said. "Because the way we hear it, Lucifer is locked back down in his cage."  
"I suppose they said the same thing about Sam," Sam said, referring to himself in the third person. "Yet here we are."  
"It's a trick," the demon retorted.  
"Is it?" Sam asked tersely. "I'd expect a bit more respect after all I've done for you."

Sam held his hand up like he'd done so many times before. The demon laughed at first. Then it stopped, and a look of realization crossed its face. A beam of light emitted from its head and quickly faded. When it was gone, the demon collapsed.

From his stakeout spot, Bobby exhaled. It was the fastest Latin he'd ever spewed. He knew Sam didn't have long either - the chant just knocked out the demon for a short time.

Sam lowered his hand. Three of the other demons cowered back. The demon who'd identified him as Sam stood his ground.

"Impressive," the demon said. "You'll have to teach me that one."

Sam didn't respond. He met the demon's eyes. The demon walked up to Sam. As it drew closer Sam felt himself freeze, unable to move.

"Thing is, Lucifer probably wouldn't need this," he said, reaching into Sam's pocket and pulling out the curved blade knife that had killed Ipos. "Would he, Sam?"

Sam didn't respond.

"And Lucifer probably wouldn't respond to this," the demon said, and threw his arm up. Sam went flying backwards, landing on his back yards away.  
"Crap," Bobby said from his stakeout point. He heard tires squealing in behind him. He hoped it was Dean and team.

Sam worked to pick himself up from the ground. As he got to his knees he felt intense fire in his gut, and pitched forward. The demon approached him.

"I must say I'm impressed by your commitment," the demon said. "Did your brother really send you in as the lamb to slaughter? I never liked him much, but you Sam? You've always been on my radar."

Sam spat out blood, still hunched over.

"It's probably too late to lead any armies now, Sam, since Lucifer has pretty much claimed you and I hate sloppy seconds," the demon said. "But I will put in a good word for you down in Hell. Guess you'll have some time to brush up on went wrong while you're down there."

Trying to speak, Sam coughed violently. The demon eased its grip slightly.

"Semiazas," Sam managed to choke out.  
"Yes," Semiazas said. "I know Nathaniel thinks he's raising me and my army tonight. Well, he's half-right. I've been here on Earth for about 5 years now. Which you already knew. I rode along with that host for a long time. And then when I heard that the Apocalypse was over and neither Heaven nor Hell won, I saw the opportunity I was waiting for - just like the angels promised. So I jumped ship to a more battle-ready host and just waited for all the cards to fall into place. Of course, it seems the angels I was working with are gone now. But that's OK. I would have wiped them out anyway."

Semiazas re-tightened his grip on Sam. Suddenly, the demons behind him all collapsed in the same manner as the first one. Semiazas wheeled around as they collapsed in a heap.

"How are you doing that?" Semiazas asked with genuine curiosity.  
"He's not," said a voice off behind Semiazas. Dean emerged from the shadows and splashed holy water onto Semiazas, breaking the demon's concentration on Sam as the water burned into him.  
"I knew you were somewhere around here," Semiazas said through gritted teeth.

Once the holy water burned off he tossed Dean away, sending him flying towards the trees. He landed not too far from where Bobby was stationed. When Bobby was sure the demon wasn't watching, he stepped out to help Dean.

"I'll get in there with you," Bobby said.  
"No way," Dean said, clutching his side. "Stay here. You're our plan B."  
"Great," Bobby agreed grudgingly. "I love watching practically everyone I know get the crap kicked out of them."

Dean stumbled towards Sam as Joey and Tom burst out of the shadows from separate directions. They each had knives, and as they ran by Semiazas they sliced him in both front and back. Joey stopped quickly after the first pass, and prepared to make a second one. As she ran towards Semiazas, the demon backed away from the slice of her knife and recoiled with his own stab of the knife he'd pulled off Sam. Semiazas plunged the knife into Joey's side. She fell to the ground in pain.

"Sam, the Colt!" Dean said as he fell forward to his brother. Sam was recovering slowly from the gut-wrenching pain he'd been in the prior several minutes. He nodded at Dean, and pulled the coat from one of his inside pockets. Dean helped Sam up and they started running back towards Semiazas.

Tom made his way to check on Joey, who was writing on the ground. The wound didn't look to be fatal but there was a free flow of blood. Tom went to tear part of Joey's pants to make a tourniquet but found himself flung away before he could do so. It gave Dean and Sam time to make their way up. When Semiazas turned to face them, he found himself staring down the barrel of the Colt.

"This is the problem with you Winchesters," Semiazas said. "You never think plans all the way through." He brushed the Colt aside.

"Guess you'll have plenty of time to brush up on where you went wrong," Sam said.

He pointed the Colt back at Semiazas and fired. The bullet pierced the demon's skull. His eyes lit up red and charges of light crossed his face before dissipating. Then the demon fell to the ground, dead.

"It worked," Sam said, surprised.  
"Good to know a few angels aren't lying dicks," Dean agreed.

They didn't have time to celebrate the victory. Instead they ran to join Tom and Bobby at Joey's side.

"She needs to get to a hospital," Tom said. "She won't let us drive her."  
"Don't need it," Joey said, her face pale. "I can get to the hospital myself."  
"Called an ambulance," Bobby said. "Should be far enough away so that other group of troublemakers won't see anything. By the way, Joey texted me a little while ago. Said Semiazas was probably already here."  
Sam bitchfaced. "Thanks for the warning."  
"I'll take Joey out there," Tom said. "You guys go stop that ritual." Dean, Sam and Bobby nodded.

Sam rotated the Colt's chamber to reload. They were late for their rendezvous with Castiel and Alex. The trio started running to save their friends.

_Simultaneously, and then some._

Oblivious to the fight nearby, Nathaniel was standing by the fire, chanting over it with all four angel's graces plus Raziel's fake grace in their vials. Both Castiel and Alex were silently panicking as neither the Winchester brothers nor the groups with them had shown up. Concerned they were in it alone, they'd moved on to plan B.

Castiel was palming his angel-killing blade. Alex had her own blade supplied by Castiel. Slowly, Castiel slid closer to Nathaniel, ostensibly to watch the ritual in more detail. Nathaniel could see Castiel out of the corner of his eye but ignored him. Alex held her position outside the fire pit, while the willing angels kneeled ready in wait to be paired with a demon and to become a destroyer. After the last line of the chant, Nathaniel slammed the vials into the fire.

The magnesium reacted to the heat by flaring up violently, and Nathaniel was nearly burned by it. He slid back and away from the flames. It gave Castiel a chance to advance quickly, and he quickly shuffled up next to the other angel and went for the stab. Nathaniel grabbed the knife and twisted it around, twisting Castiel's arms in the process. Nathaniel thrust both of their hands towards the fire until the heat forced Castiel to drop the blade. Nathaniel shoved Castiel back and took a moment to straighten himself out.

"What was that all about, Castiel?" Nathaniel asked. "That was quite the tantrum you just threw."  
"I don't know how you think this process could serve Heaven in any way," Castiel said.  
"It might not. I don't really care anymore. Heaven, Hell, it doesn't matter to me. The only reason I took this path is because at least they have a plan, which is more than I can say for the home office." Nathaniel's eyes sunk back a bit at the end. He kicked the blade away from the fire and further from Castiel.

From behind them, Alex rushed forward to help Castiel. Nathaniel put his hand up and Alex was immediately knocked over. Her blade went flying.

"Don't want to rush this guys," Nathaniel said. "It's the best part."

A thick cloud of black smoke started to rise from the fire. It split into four streams and poured into the mouths of each of the four angels. They all collapsed on the ground for a moment, and when they came to, they arose recharged, with eyes burning red. Nathaniel watched and then turned back to the fire. He waited for more to happen.

They heard a gunshot off in the distance. Alex and Castiel exchanged looks. Nathaniel continued to watch the fire. After a short time he realized nothing else was going to happen and got visibly upset.

He wheeled around to face Castiel and Alex.

"I might have predicted you'd hold out on me," he said to them. "Where is Raziel?"  
"Far away from here," Alex snapped.  
"Well, that's kind of a problem for me. I need Semiazas to properly control those destroyers over there."  
"Semiazas is already here," Castiel retorted. "But he's not long for this world."  
"Where is he?" Nathaniel asked.  
"Done for," Alex retorted.  
Nathaniel looked at them both angrily. "Where is he?" he asked again, charging Alex.  
"Alex, now!" Castiel said. Alex pulled a lighter out of her pocket and backed up. She tossed the lighter onto the magnesium powder and it erupted, bursting in extremely bright light. Everyone shielded their eyes. The shock pushed Nathaniel off-balance and he fell backwards towards the fire. Castiel could see Nathaniel falling from under his arm, which he was using as a shield. He rushed forward to catch his brother.

"You don't get off that easily," he told Nathaniel. He grabbed the blade from the ground, and quickly shoved it through Nathaniel's neck. Cas felt the thrust of an angel's wings first spreading, and then vaporizing. The body collapsed backwards onto him. Castiel pulled the blade and let the body fall to the ground next to him.  
"Cas, look out!" Dean called from not too far away as the destroyers swarmed him.

Alex quickly flipped her knife like a spear behind her shoulder and hurtled it towards one of the part-angel, part-demon monsters. It hit one square in the back, knocking it down temporarily.

"Cas, get down," Sam said, and Castiel quickly shrank down to the ground. Sam tracked the monsters with the Colt and shot them in quick succession.

Dean and Alex slid down into the fire pit to check on Castiel. They pulled the monster corpses away from their angel friend. Bobby found a bucket of sand just outside the pit and threw it over the fire to quiet it down a bit.

"You alright, Cas?" Dean asked as his friend dusted his hair off.  
"My faith in plan Bs moving forward is somewhat bolstered," Castiel replied. "But I would have much preferred plan A."  
"I'm just impressed we had two plans," Dean cracked.

Alex and Sam nodded their OKs to each other, then Bobby added his own. Everyone that was there was alright.

"Let's bury these idjits and get the hell outta here," Bobby suggested. Everyone else nodded in agreement.

_Lush Coastal Rainforests of Central South Dakota._

Alex, Tom, Castiel and Bobby were gathered around the folding table, each with a hand of cards in front of them. Alex had a small pile of chips left; Tom and Bobby each had a respectable pile and Castiel had by far the lion's share. Dean and Sam were off to the side watching the scene with amusement, while Joey lay not too far away, propped up by pillows in a makeshift window seat.

Sam caught Alex's eye.

"He's got an amazing poker face!" Alex defended herself against Castiel.  
"The deck is cyclical," Castiel replied. "The chances of getting a favorable card are increased when you play in a large group."

The hand ended with Bobby winning it, and Alex found herself out of chips. She excused herself to join Sam and Dean.

"We're gonna head out soon," she spoke on behalf of herself, Tom and Joey.  
"Headed back to Omaha?" Dean asked.  
"After we drop off Joey, I think so. For now anyway," Alex said. "Castiel said Raziel has no need for me at this time. It sounds like I can try to rebuild my life. Maybe even start a new one."  
"You gonna go back to school? Sam asked.

Alex shook her head no.

"She's gonna become a hunter," Tom said from the table.  
"Absolutely not," Alex retorted immediately. "But I might help out from time to time."  
"That's how it starts," Bobby leaned in to tell his tablemates in a stage whisper.  
"Seriously though," Alex said, ignoring the jokers. "If you guys are in the area and ever need anything, you better call me."  
"We will," Dean said.  
"Definitely," Sam quickly agreed.

Alex cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, I don't believe you. But, maybe that day will come," she said slyly. "Bobby, you have my number?"  
"Yes ma'am," he replied.

"Well, that does it for me," Tom said after losing the round. He came up to Alex, Sam and Dean.  
"Ready?"

Alex nodded sadly.

"Sam, it's been a pleasure," Tom said, holding out a hand. Sam shook it. "Dean, it got better," Tom said. Dean smiled and offered a handshake of his own, which Tom took. Tom went to help Joey up. Sam went over too.

"Joey, I am sorry about every time we ever met," Sam said, shaking his head.  
Joey laughed, and then grimaced from the pain. "Sam, the only one who has it worse around you is your brother. You guys just take care of each other, OK?"

Sam nodded and agreed. He gave Joey a gentle hug. Dean waved a goodbye, giving Joey his well-wishes. Tom told Alex they'd meet her at the car.

"We got a pretty Chevelle and I'm stuck in the back. Can't even drive my own damn car," Alex said with a chuckle.  
"I feel your pain, believe me," Sam said.  
"Guys," Alex said. "This has been the quickest five years of my life. What say we take the next five a little easier?"

The boys smiled.

"Of all the girls I've known through Dean, you're my favorite," Sam said.  
Alex laughed. "Thanks." Sam wrapped her in a bear hug, pulling her off the ground at one point.  
"You're a great guy, Sam," Alex said through muffles. "I loved being around you."  
Dean, never one for goodbyes, was more direct. "I'm glad this story has a happy ending," he said. "We don't get many of those."  
"Hold on there, pal," Alex replied. "This isn't over! I mean, you guys are going to come visit! I'll even make pie."  
"Right," Dean said with a smile. "That's a deal."

He roped her into a long hug. Afterwards, she said her farewells to Bobby and Castiel. And then Alexis Parker walked out of Bobby's house and roared away in the Chevelle.

"I feel a headache coming on," Dean said. "Damn Earth is spinning."  
"I'll drive," Sam offered.

Dean shot him down with one look.


End file.
